United Nations, Jun 23 (IANS): A project in West Bengal's Nadia district for improving heath by providing sanitary toilets and promoting their use has won a first place UN award for innovative public services.

Announcing the award to the Sabar Shouchagar -- "Toilets for All" -- project, the UN department administering the awards said on Monday that it "is a unique model developed to generate awareness, improve access to sanitary toilets, and bring substantial health improvement through improved sanitation".

The project increased awareness and brought about behavioural changes leading to more use of the constructed toilets, it added.

The award from the Division for Public Administration and Development Management of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is to be given in Medellin, Colombia, on Thursday at a UN Public Service Forum.

"The awards highlight many innovations that help to provide better services to citizens everywhere in the world and improve people's lives," said Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).

"It provides an international platform to showcase some of the best examples of effective public governance."