Asunción, May 11, 2020 (PAHO / WHO) -- Three educational centers for adolescents and young people deprived of liberty and three penitentiaries under the Ministry of Justice will strengthen their water and sanitation systems as part of Paraguay's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with support from the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO).
PAHO / WHO is working with the Paraguayan Ministry of Justice to improve sanitary conditions for persons deprived of liberty.
The water systems will be installed in educational centers in Villarrica, Concepción and Ciudad del Este, in addition to three penitentiaries. They consist of tanks, pumps and accessories. The installation of the infrastructure will begin this week and will provide drinking water for consumption and to ensure frequent hand washing as a way of preventing COVID-19.
The Minister of Justice, Cecilia Pérez, said the tanks delivered by PAHO / WHO in Paraguay have storage capacities of 10,000 and 20,000 liters. "For us water tanks are a necessary element in terms of prevention mechanisms for COVID-19 with handwashing, and they also help us to avoid security episodes," she said.
The PAHO/WHO Representative in Paraguay, Luis Roberto Escoto, conveyed the Organization’s pleasure in making this contribution of water tanks and stressed that PAHO will work with the Paraguayan Ministry of Justice to improve the comprehensive health of persons deprived of freedom, including addressing mental health, HIV and tuberculosis, among other health problems that affect this population.
