FILA announced on Feb. 23 that it has successfully installed water filtration systems at several health centers in Cambodia’s Ratanakiri province to contribute to improved living standards for local residents in one of the Southeast Asian country’s most marginalized regions.
In line with its key social contribution themes and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, FILA has committed to establishing access to clean water in underprivileged areas. Its Ratanakiri campaign was conducted in cooperation with Good Neighbors, an international humanitarian development organization that operates in 271 locations across 49 countries.
Ratanakiri, located in northeastern Cambodia, was identified as an area in need of support due to its lack of clean water for hospitals and public health centers. This shortage has led to difficulties in controlling infections and inadequate medical services for approximately 15,000 pregnant women and children under five years old who need to visit the province’s health facilities each year.
In collaboration with Good Neighbors, FILA set up water filtration systems at five local health centers over a period of six months from August 2023, before successfully completing water quality inspections to check for 16 potential contaminants including E. coli, aluminum, and chlorine.
In addition to holding a ceremony to formally hand over the systems, FILA organized system management training for around 200 local officials and residents. It also plans to continue to monitor the systems and help manage them as needed by collaborating with the provincial health department of Ratanakiri and Good Neighbors.
Water is one of FILA’s three major social contribution themes along with Diversity and Children. As a group, FILA is actively implementing actions for the planet and creating social impacts while striving to accomplish the sustainability objectives outlined by its five-year global strategy “WINNING TOGETHER.”
“It is meaningful that this support activity allows us to contribute even a little to the foundation of healthier lives in Ratanakiri, Cambodia, by establishing access to clean and safe water,” said an official from FILA. “We plan to continue making various efforts for sustainable coexistence with neighbors in need.”
