LIMA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The government of Peru is prioritizing the need to provide drinking water for homes of 8 million Peruvians who do not have this service, President Martin Vizcarra said on Friday.

The president said his government is focused on improving the quality of life of all Peruvians by providing access to the basic services of water, healthcare and education.

Vizcarra laid out these priorities during a trip to the southern region of Arequipa, where he oversaw sanitation works and construction of new roads.

According to government figures, new sanitation infrastructure in this region will benefit around 60,000 inhabitants of outlying neighborhoods.

Peru's statistics bureau, INEI, has indicated that 61 percent of rural residents do not have access to sanitation in their homes, as opposed to just 9 percent of urban residents.

Peru has abundant water resources but it is distributed unequally and is often scarce in areas with high demand.

According to INEI, around 6 million rural inhabitants and 2 million city dwellers do not have access to drinking water in their homes.?