New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS): Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and commended the efforts of the government on the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The WHO chief concluded expressing his thanks to India. "Thank you for your leadership and may your achievement be an inspiration for the world," he remarked.

Initiated in 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Swachh Bharat Mission targeted to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF).

Marking the occasion of the 155th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day paid tribute to India’s founding father. Taking this to his social media X, PM Modi remarked, “Today, on Gandhi Jayanti, I took part in Swachhata-related activities with my young friends. I urge you all to also take part in some or the other such activity during the day and at the same time, keep strengthening the Swachh Bharat Mission. #10YearsOfSwachhBharat”.

This massive undertaking successfully mobilised nationwide participation, marking it as the largest behavioural change movement globally. By 2019, the mission celebrated the construction of over 100 million individual household toilets, declaring more than six lakh villages ODF, a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary.