Sanitation stressed to fight diseases

As many as 70 women and girls die in an hour from diseases related to lack of access to sanitation facilities and water.

BHUBANESWAR: As many as 70 women and girls die in an hour from diseases related to lack of access to sanitation facilities and water. Similarly, 2,000 children die every day from diarrhoea, informed Barbara Frost, chief executive of Water-Aid.

In India, 620 million people resort to open defecation, the highest in the world. Proper sanitation and hygiene is the need of the hour, Frost said.

According to a study, two million children die from diarrhoea. And the main source of diarrhoeal infection is human excreta.

Public Affair Centre (PAC)-Bangalore, a non-profit organisation, has been working to build a platform to improve the reach of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the flagship programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to PAC-Bangalore, 71,302 Anganwadi centres in Odisha do not have toilets. Studies have shown that latrine coverage in the State has been less that what was anticipated.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com