Sanitation - weapon against death and disease

Abstract

Whether it is called a toilet, latrine, porcelain throne, john, water closet or the loo, speaking of sanitation tends to make people uncomfortable. Yet, the humble toilet is one of the most important defences against disease and death. Why is sanitation important? Sanitation, defined as any system that safely manages human excreta, has a major impact on the health and dignity of people. Around the world, an estimated 2,6 billion (mostly poor) people, including 980 million children, lack access to proper sanitation facilities. This means they are forced to defecate in bags, buckets, fields, or roadside ditches, causing serious health risks to them and others. Poor sanitation promotes the spread of health problems – including chronic diarrhoea, intestinal worms, bilharzia, hepatitis, and scabies. In fact, diarrhoea remains the number one killer of young children around the world. It is estimated that improved sanitation facilities could reduce diarrhoearelated morbidity in young children by more than a third.

Authors

Categories