INTRODUCTION: WaSh is an acronym for water, sanitation and
hygiene. Universal, affordable and sustainable access to WaSh has become a key
public health issue all across the world. Not only is it a basic fundamental
right, as recognized in 2010 by
the United Nations General Assembly, but is also an important
sustainable development goal set by the World Health Organization. Today, 2.2 billion people lack access
to safely managed drinking water services and 4.2 billion people
lack safely managed sanitation services. Unsafe hygiene practices are
widespread and the impact on child mortality rates is devastating with more
than 2,97,000 children under five who die annually from diarrheal diseases due
to poor sanitation, poor hygiene or unsafe drinking water. Furthermore, 2 out
of 5 people or 3 billion people around the world lack basic hand washing
facilities at home.
SOME
IMPORTANT FACTS
· 2.0
billion people still do not have basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or
latrines.
· Of
these, 673 million still defecate in the open, for example in street gutters,
behind bushes or into open bodies of water.
· At
least 10% of the world’s population is thought to consume food irrigated by
wastewater.
· Poor
sanitation is linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea,
dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio.
· Poor
sanitation reduces human well-being, social and economic development due to
impacts such as anxiety, risk of sexual assault, and lost educational
opportunities.
Without improved sanitation people have no choice but to use
inadequate communal latrines or to
practice open defecation. For women and girls, finding a place to go to the
toilet outside, often having to wait until the cover of darkness, can leave
them vulnerable to abuse and sexual assault.
In the immediate
environment, the lack of effective waste
disposal or sewerage systems can contaminate ecosystems.
In MANY parts
of the India, there is little or no awareness of good hygiene practices and
their role in reducing the spread of disease. However, it is often the case
that even when people do have knowledge of good hygiene behavior, they lack the
soap, safe water and washing facilities they need to make positive changes to
protect themselves and their community.
The impact of
universal access to WASH on global health would be profound. There is the
potential to save the lives of the 829,000 people who currently die every year
from diseases directly caused by unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor
hygiene practices, and we could also drastically reduce child malnourishment,
and help alleviate physical and mental under-development. Today, 50% of child
malnutrition is associated with unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor
hygiene. Women and girls would have the facilities and knowledge to be
able to manage their menstrual cycles in safety and dignity. Similarly, during
pregnancy, childbirth, and post-natal care, medical staff, expectant mothers
and their families will be better equipped to ensure newborn children are given
the safest and healthiest possible start in life.
The main objective of water supply,
sanitation and hygiene programmes is thus to reduce the transmission of faecal
related diseases and exposure to diseases with epidemic potential, allowing
people living with good health, dignity, comfort and security.
This
concept is especially promoted in schools to improve health conditions in
low-resource settings where people find it difficult to meet their daily needs.
While governments across the world
efficiently try to reduce mortality rates owing to such diseases, the most
basic measures include access to safe excreta
disposal, support for basic hygiene practices such as hand washing with soap,
and provision of a safe and reliable water supply.
Today, WaSH interventions are
essential for assuring child health and development, It is a
concept that is a determinant of educational outcome in girls, since maternal
education a strong predictor of child health outcomes, including stunting and nutrition.
Access to improved sanitation facilities, which are single sex and usable, is
also essential for menstrual hygiene management and enables school attendance
for pubertal girls.
HOW DOES HEEALS WORK TOWARDS THIS?
Globally,
around a third of schools have no safe water supply or adequate
sanitation, leaving children dehydrated and less able to concentrate, and
forcing pupils to use inadequate latrines or go to the toilet outside in the
school grounds. At HEEALS, we understand the cause and its effect on our
surroundings. We thus try to spread awareness through actively organizing
workshops in schools. Through our little efforts, we aim to make education fun.
It is in our hands to prepare our future generations for being able to tackle
problems related to such diseases. Through informative posters, slogans and
catchy tunes, we aim to make students learn the importance of hygienic
surroundings, while making it fun and interactive. The disease and time burden
associated with lack of access to WASH prevents many adults from earning a
living or fulfilling their potential in the professional arena. Not only could
access to WASH free up adults, particularly women, to do more productive
activities, the establishment and maintenance of WASH services would create associated
employment. We strive towards making students understand preventive measures
while actively encouraging their families to do the same.
- By Tvisha bhanot
Wash Volunteer
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