Access to safe sanitation still a problem in South Asia

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Access to safe sanitation still a problem in South Asia

November 19: The World Health Organisation has said that the access to safe sanitation services, including hygienic toilets that are connected to quality sewage systems, remains a problem in South-East Asia with 900 million region-wide lacking basic sanitation, and more than 500 million practicing open defecation.

The WHO warned that this leads to increased human-feces contact and the transmission of a range of diseases, from cholera to typhoid and hepatitis A and E to tapeworm. 

However, the member states have made significant progress in recent years, according to a statement issued by the WHO. Region-wide, urban coverage of basic sanitation is now close to 70 percent. In a majority of countries rural coverage exceeds 50 percent.

The share of the region’s population practicing open defecation has meanwhile been reduced from more than 50 percent to less than 30 percent, while several member states have achieved more than 90 percent coverage of basic sanitation services.

The return on every dollar invested in safe sanitation is estimated to be nearly six times, due in large part to lower health costs, increased productivity and fewer premature deaths, the statement further said.

WHO’s South-East Asia Region comprises the following 11 member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

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