Water scarcity isn’t the only major problem that the world has been facing. Sanitation comes a close second. Most of us reading this blog will find it hard to believe. Rightly so given how we feel that access to good sanitary solutions is an unsaid, unwritten right.
However, truth is very different from that!
Most of the developing nations find it hard to ensure that the average population gets even the basic access to toilets. The result is open defecation, multiple infections, widespread diseases and some serious health concerns.
Through this blog, we would want to throw light on some major points which tell us how serious the entire sanitation issue is.
In a later blog, we will list out the best of the practices which the governments across the world are following to combat this issue.
- 4.2 billion people across the globe live without inadequate access to safe sanitation and 673 million people practice open defecation
- About 432,000 people die annually because of diarrhoeal deaths caused by intestinal worms, trachoma and schistosomiasis, each of which happens because of inadequate sanitation
- Because of this inadequacy, these people have to face discrimination across the society which makes it even more difficult for them to get access to adequate sanitation
- About 297,000 children under five die each year because of drinking contaminated water or due to infections from defecating in dirty areas
Sanitation is a human right and it is upon the nations of the world to ensure that everyone gets access to physical and affordable sanitation which is safe, hygienic, secure and socially and culturally acceptable.
The United Nations has defined access to Sustainable Sanitation as the UNSD Goal for 2020. The focus is to include the people from these marginalised backgrounds in the decision-making process in order to define relevant regulatory frameworks.
All that being said, we hope that this blog opened your eyes towards the grave concern that the sanitation crisis is. At Buzz on Earth, we are the crusaders for sustainability and every voice that has a positive idea for the same. If you have one such idea too, do write back to us!