Sanitation:
Sanitation and hygiene are
critical to health, survival, and development. Many countries are challenged in
providing adequate sanitation for their entire populations, leaving people at
risk for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-related diseases. Throughout the
world, an estimated 2.5 billion people lack basic sanitation (more than 35% of
the world's population). Basic sanitation is described as having access to
facilities for the safe disposal of human waste (feces and urine), as well as
having the ability to maintain hygienic conditions, through services such as
garbage collection, industrial/hazardous waste management, and wastewater
treatment and disposal. Sanitation literally means measures necessary for
improving and protecting health and well being of the people. Sanitation is any
system that promotes proper disposal of human and animal wastes, proper use of
toilet and avoiding open space defecation.
Open Defecation:
Open defecation refers to the practice of
defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces.
Defecating in the open is an affront to dignity and risk to children’s
nutrition and to community health. During the Millennium Development Goal
period, the elimination of open defecation has been increasingly recognized as
a top priority for improving health, nutrition and productivity of developing
country populations.
Status of Open Defecation in Global Scenario
(UNICEF, 2016):
Open defecation rates have been decreasing steadily since 1990, and it is estimated that fewer than one billion people (946 million) now practice open defecation worldwide. Two thirds live in Southern Asia, nearly three times as many as in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the number of people practicing open defecation in Southern Asia has declined only moderately, from 771 million in 1990 to 610 million in 2015, a reduction of just 21 per cent (Fig. 4). During the same period the number of people practicing open defecation has actually increased in sub-Saharan Africa, and the region now accounts for a greater share of the global total than in 1990. All other regions recorded a reduction in open defecation in population terms between 1990 and 2015. Greater efforts are needed in order to ensure the availability and use of adequate sanitation facilities.
Milestone of Sanitation in Nepal:
DATE
|
EVENT
|
1980
|
Formal Effort towards Sanitation
|
Sept. 1990
|
Nepal ratifies the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:
Article 24: states shall take measures to ensure that parents and children are supported in the use of basic knowledge of hygiene and environmental sanitation |
1994
|
National Sanitation Policy
|
2000
|
School Sanitation and Hygiene Education
|
2003
|
Community Led Total Sanitation
|
2006
|
School Led Total Sanitation
|
2008
|
International Year of Sanitation
|
Jul-10
|
UN Resolution 64/292 explicitly recognizes the human right to
water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and
sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights.
|
2011
|
Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan
|
2013
|
Environment Friendly Local Governance
|
2017
|
Total Sanitation Guideline
|
2017
|
Planned to declare 75 district as ODF district
|
ODF in Nepal:
DATE
|
EVENT
|
Pragatinagar VDC, Nawalparasi District was declared as first
ODF VDC.
|
|
24-Jun-11
|
Kaski Declared as first ODF District in Nepal which was
followed by Chitwan
|
2012
|
Tanahun and Myagdi district followed the path of Kaski
|
2013
|
Pyuthan, Parbat, Achham, Kalikot, Makwanpur, Bhaktapur and
Mustang District followed the path of Kaski
|
4-Nov-13
|
Bhaktapur District delcared as first ODF District inside the
Kathmandu Valley- By President Ram Baran Yadav
|
2014
|
Panchthar, Baglung, Dang, Dadeldhura, Bajura, Argakhachi,
Rukum and Gorkha District were declared ODF District
|
12-Jun-15
|
Bardiya Declared as 24th ODF District in Nepal, First ODF
District in Terai - By Bamdev Gautam
|
2015
|
Jajarkot, Dhankuta, Illam, Syangja, Lamjung, Jumla, Bardiya, Sindhupalchowk,
Khotang, Nawalparasi and Udayapur District were declared ODF District
|
2016
|
Baitadi Declared as 38th ODF District in Nepal and last one
till date
|
2016
|
As of Dec. 2016,
Trend of Toilet Coverage: 89% ODF Declared VDC: 2388 out of 3157 ODF Declared Municipality, 131 out of 217 |
2017
|
Planned to declare 75 district as ODF district
|
As districts race each other to construct
toilets and turn local attitudes against open defecation, Nepal inches closer
and closer to its national goal of being open defecation free by 2017.
Surprising Fact till Dec, 2016:
As country is moving towards "One House One Toilet", what about their use.
The recommendation for the concerned stakeholders would be:
Don't just go for Toilet installation and VDC/District Declaration in hurry in the name of achieving the goal set by Government of Nepal, work together for
BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
ATTITUDE CHANGE and
ODF SUSTAINABILITY
References:
https://data.unicef.org/topic/water-and-sanitation/sanitation/#
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