An inch closer to SWACHH INDIA!

Sanitation and hygiene area key to survival, development and growth. They, largely, begin at home. Poor sanitation, unsafe water and unhygienic practices cause millions of people in the developing world to suffer needlessly from diseases. Poor water and sanitation exact a heavy economic cost in terms of health spending, loss of productivity and labour diversion.

Of the approximately 120 million children born in the developing world each year, half will live in households without access to improved sanitation , at grave risk to their survival and development. Poor hygiene and lack of access to sanitation together contribute to about 88% of deaths from diarrhoeal diseases, accounting for 1.5 million diarrhoea-related under-five deaths each year.

Research shows that for every 10% increase in female literacy, a country’s economy can grow by 0.3 percent. Educated girls are more likely to raise healthy, well-nourished, educated children, to protect themselves from exploitation and AIDS and to develop skills to contribute to their societies. Children weakened by frequent diarrhoea episodes are also more likely to be affected by malnutrition and opportunistic infections such as acute respiratory infections – the other major child killer. 

The WHO Commission established that reducing infant mortality is key to economic growth. Lowering infant mortality is associated with greater abilities of families to invest in health and education, in fewer dependents per worker and overall increase in per capita GNP and economic growth.

Sanitation and hygiene are the two most important topics talked about in the recent times.

Going by the importance, they have plenty to offer like:

1. Lower morbidity rates in the population: Adequate sanitation facilities largely work in the favour of people and government alike, for it improves the health of the country and HDI, and also several other economic factors that support the building of a healthy nation.

2. Lower mortality rates due to diarrhoea: Better health and hygiene facilities prevent the occurrence of several deadly diseases like diarrhoea. Improved sanitation facilities leads to lowering down of the rate of deaths in the population.

3. Better nutrition among children: It is essential that the nutritional requirements of the children are adequately met in order to have a better future of the country. The country's development is largely dependent on the health of the growing children, for they are the future torch-bearers of the country and take the baton ahead.

4. Cleaner environment: A neat, clean and safe environment has several added benefits for the population it supports. The clean environment offers lots of benefits, like fresh air, clean water, etc

5. Safer food: Contaminated food leads to so many diseases. It is essential that good amount of care is taken to meet the safe food requirements. It is important to know the quality of the food that one is going to consume, for that supports life.

6. Increased impact of improved water supplies: It is essential that the water that is supplied to our homes and at other public locations should be clean and free of germs and bacteria, as these are the carriers of several diseases and ailments. The water supply should be taken care up and the suitability of chemicals into it to purify must be taken off.

7. Better learning and retention among school children: Good health and hygiene facilities shall enable children to retain the taught. These are essential and basic necessities for a educated child. These shall pave a way for a better nation.

8. More dignity and privacy for everybody especially women and girls: Good sanitation facilities shall enable proper defecation facilities which would lead to better health and hygiene of individuals, largely, and shall be responsible for better dignity and privacy of women and girls in the country. It is essential that defecation problems are solved by giving the priority as it would heavily improve the health conditions in the country.

9. Increased awareness of importance of sanitation and hygiene and need to develop more permanent strategy: It is essential that several awareness programmes and campaigns are being organised and carried out so that the importance of health, sanitation and hygiene reaches the least educated and poorest individual, and people learn about the their health and hygiene appropriately on a priority basis through these camps.

10. Educating the masses: Educating the poor people regarding the importance of good health and hygiene does wonders to the economy of the country in huge number of ways, for instance, the economic growth improves, human development index steps up, and also several other indices find a leap of growth into their measures.

Now is the time to act. We can influence political leaders, social workers, organisations, individuals, children, and everyone of us to act now. It is important that everyone of us realizes the duty of keeping the surroundings, home, and environment neat, lean and tidy to the best of efforts and encourage others to take the same lead. It begins from oneself and anyone of us can  make the move. 

Merely being the spectators to the problems and issues would do no good to the society and instead shall be a painful sight to see it suffering at the hands of mankind with the issues of improper sanitation. It is important that we consider it as a responsibility for all of us to make a SWACHH INDIA and be a proud citizen into the laps of mother India.

Lots of initiatives and steps have been taken by our leaders into these regard. Let us not make a mockery of them as has been seen at so may incidences, instead learn and regard the motive behind the campaign and be an active participant of whatever possible good we can do and make the mission successful.

SANITATION and HYGIENE are achievable. Let's prove it and make it to be counted as a possibility and an achievement.

This post has been written as a part of an activity on indiblogger to bring a change through Swachh India campaign. For more details click here - http://swachhindia.ndtv.com/