The CHOBA project was founded by the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU), the East Meets West Foundation (EMWF) Global Partnership and the Medical Environment Management Department under the Ministry of Health (MoH) for the 2012 - 2015 period, which was announced yesterday in Hanoi.

Nearly 125,000 low income households will be provided with toilets and hand washing facilities with running soap through the CHOBA project.

Earlier, the project was implemented successfully in the Mekong Delta Region, helping 4,200 poor families in the southern provinces of Tien Giang, Long An and Dong Thap.

The project was expected to have more successful results in 244 communes in the provinces in the future, which will contribute to the national target programme on rural water supply and sanitation in Vietnam.

According to the World Health Organisation, over 20,000 people annually are estimated to die of water-related illnesses and nearly 50 million Vietnamese people lack hygienic toilet facilities.

Source: Nhan Dan Online