poor sanitation essay

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• In 2022, 57% of the global population (4.6 billion people) used a safely managed sanitation service.
• Over 1.5 billion people still do not have basic sanitation services, such as private toilets or latrines.
• Of these, 419 million still defecate in the open, for example in street gutters, behind bushes or into open bodies of water.
• In 2020, 44% of the household wastewater generated globally was discharged without safe treatment (1) .
• At least 10% of the world’s population is thought to consume food irrigated by wastewater.
• Poor sanitation reduces human well-being, social and economic development due to impacts such as anxiety, risk of sexual assault, and lost opportunities for education and work.
• Poor sanitation is linked to transmission of diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera and dysentery, as well as typhoid, intestinal worm infections and polio. It exacerbates stunting and contributes to the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

According to the latest WASH-related burden of disease estimates , 1.4 million people die each year as a result of inadequate drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene. The vast majority of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries. Unsafe sanitation accounts for 564 000 of these deaths, largely from diarrhoeal disease, and it is a major factor in several neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma. Poor sanitation also contributes to malnutrition.

Diarrhoea remains a major killer but is largely preventable. Better water, sanitation, and hygiene could prevent the deaths among children aged under 5 years, 395 000 in the year 2019.

Open defecation perpetuates a vicious cycle of disease and poverty. The countries where open defection is most widespread have the highest number of deaths of children aged under 5 years as well as the highest levels of malnutrition and poverty, and big disparities of wealth. 

Benefits of improving sanitation

Benefits of improved sanitation extend well beyond reducing the risk of diarrhoea. These include:

• reducing the spread of intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma, which are neglected tropical diseases that cause suffering for millions;
• reducing the severity and impact of malnutrition;
• promoting dignity and boosting safety, particularly among women and girls;
• promoting school attendance: girls’ school attendance is particularly boosted by the provision of separate sanitary facilities;
• reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance;
• potential safe recovery of water, nutrients and renewable energy from wastewater and sludge; and
• potential to increase overall community resilience to climate shocks, for example  through safe use of wastewater for irrigation to mitigate water scarcity.

A WHO study in 2012 calculated that for every US$ 1.00 invested in sanitation, there was a return of US$ 5.50 in lower health costs, more productivity and fewer premature deaths.

In 2013, the UN Deputy Secretary-General issued a call to action on sanitation that included the elimination of open defecation by 2025. The world is on track to eliminate open defecation by 2030, if not by 2025, but historical rates of progress would need to double for the world to achieve universal coverage with basic sanitation services by 2030. To achieve universal safely managed services, rates would need to increase five-fold.

The situation in urban areas, particularly in dense, low income and informal areas, is a growing challenge as sewerage is precarious or non-existent, space for toilets is at a premium, poorly designed and managed pits and septic tanks contaminate open drains and groundwater and services for faecal sludge removal are unavailable or unaffordable. Inequalities are compounded when sewage discharged into storm drains and waterways pollutes poorer low-lowing areas of cities. The effects of climate change – floods, water scarcity and droughts, and sea level rise – is setting back progress for the billions of people without safely managed services and threatens to undermine existing services if they are not made more resilient.

Wastewater and sludge are increasingly seen as a valuable resource in the circular economy that can provide reliable water and nutrients for food production and recovered energy in various forms. In fact, use of wastewater and sludge is already commonplace, but much is used unsafely without adequate treatment, controls on use or regulatory oversight. Safe use that prevents transmission of excreta-related disease is vital to reduce harms and maximize beneficial use of wastewater and sludge.

In 2019 UN-Water launched the SDG6 global acceleration framework (GAF). On World Toilet Day 2020, WHO and UNICEF launched the  State of the world’s sanitation  report laying out the scale of the challenge in terms of health impact, sanitation coverage, progress, policy and investment and also laying out an acceleration agenda for sanitation under the GAF.

WHO response

In 2010, the UN General Assembly recognized access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right and called for international efforts to help countries to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking-water and sanitation. Sustainable Development Goal target 6.2 calls for adequate and equitable sanitation for all and target 6.3 calls for halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse.

As the international authority on public health, WHO leads global efforts to prevent transmission of diseases, advising governments on health-based regulation and service delivery. On sanitation, WHO monitors global burden of disease (SDG 3.9) and the level of sanitation access and wastewater treatment (SDG 6.2, 6.3) and analyses what helps and hinders progress (SDG 6a, 6b and GLAAS). Such monitoring gives Member States and donors global data to help decide how to invest in providing toilets and ensuring safe management of wastewater and excreta.

WHO works with partners on promoting effective risk assessment and management practices for sanitation in communities and health facilities based on evidence and tools including WHO guidelines on sanitation and health, safe use of wastewater, recreational water quality and promotion of sanitation safety planning and sanitary inspections, and through communities of practice such as RegNet and the sanitation workers initiative. WHO also supports   collaboration between WASH and health programmes where sanitation is critical for disease prevention and risk reduction including neglected tropical diseases, cholera, polio and antimicrobial resistance, and environmental surveillance of pathogens.   Aspects of climate resilience are incorporated in all WHO sanitation guidance documents.

• UN Habitat and WHO, 2021. Progress on wastewater treatment – Global status and acceleration needs for SDG indicator 6.3.1. United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva.
• Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000–2022: special focus on gender. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO), 2023. https://washdata.org/reports/jmp-2023-wash-households
• State of the world's sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies
• Guidelines on sanitation and health
• Sanitation safety planning
• Sanitary inspection packages
• Technical brief on water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and wastewater management to prevent infections and reduce
• Guidelines for the safe use of wastewater, excreta and greywater
• Guidelines for safe recreational water environments
• WASH and health working together: a how-to guide for Neglected Tropical Disease programmes  
• WASH and waste in health facilities
• Sanitation and health: Where to from here?
• Implications of recent WASH and nutrition studies for WASH policy and practice

Open WHO self-paced course on safely managed sanitation

Progress on household drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022: Special focus on gender

Strong systems and sound investments: Evidence on and key insights into accelerating progress on sanitation, drinking-water and hygiene

Safe sanitation is essential to reduce deaths from infectious diseases, prevent malnutrition, and provide dignity.

Having access to and being able to use safe sanitation facilities is one of our most basic human needs.

Nevertheless, due to a range of barriers, such as lack of availability, affordability, or cultural norms, around 40% of the world’s population do not use safe sanitation facilities . This is a major health risk. Unsafe sanitation is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.

In this article, we give an overview of global and national data on the usage of sanitation facilities and its impact on health outcomes.

Unsafe sanitation is a leading risk factor for death

Unsafe sanitation is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.

Unsafe sanitation is one of the world's largest health and environmental problems – particularly for the poorest in the world .

These estimates of the annual number of deaths attributed to a wide range of risk factors are shown here.

Unsafe sanitation is a leading risk factor for infectious diseases, including cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio . 1 It also exacerbates malnutrition and, in particular, childhood stunting . In the chart, we see that it ranks as significant risk factor for death globally.

The global distribution of deaths from sanitation

In low-income countries, poor sanitation accounts for a larger share of deaths.

In the map we see the share of annual deaths attributed to unsafe sanitation across the world.

The share of deaths attributed to unsafe sanitation is higher in Sub-Saharan Africa and in some areas south and southeastern Asia.

When we compare the share of deaths attributed to unsafe sanitation either over time or between countries, we are not only comparing the extent of unsafe sanitation but its severity in the context of other risk factors for death.

Sanitation's share does not only depend on how many die prematurely from it but what else people are dying from and how this is changing.

Death rates are much higher in low-income countries

Death rates from unsafe sanitation give us an accurate comparison of differences in mortality impacts between countries and over time. In contrast to the share of deaths, death rates are not influenced by how other causes or risk factors for death are changing.

In this map, we see death rates from unsafe sanitation across the world. Death rates measure the number of deaths per 100,000 people in a given country or region.

What becomes clear is the large differences in death rates between countries: rates are high in lower-income countries, particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Rates can be more than 1,000 times higher in many low-income countries than in rich countries.

We see this relationship clearly when we plot death rates from unsafe sanitation versus income , with both indicators on a log scale.

Usage of safe sanitation

Nearly half of the world does not use safely managed sanitation.

SDG Target 6.2 is to: “achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation” by 2030.

In recent years, just over half of the world's population has been using safely managed sanitation . It is shocking that nearly one in two don’t. Many people do not have any sanitation facilities at all and instead have to practice open defecation.

The world has made progress in recent years. But this has been far too slow. Much of the world’s population still does not use safely managed sanitation.

In the next chart, we see the breakdown of sanitation facilities usage globally and across regions and income groups.

We see that in countries with the lowest incomes, only around one in five people use safe sanitation, much like safe drinking water; most live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the map shown, we see the share of people across the world who use safely managed sanitation.

How many people do not use safe sanitation?

In the map shown, we see the number of people across the world who do not use safely managed sanitation.

Use of improved sanitation

What share of people do not use improved sanitation.

'Improved' sanitation is defined as facilities that ensure hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact. This includes facilities such as flush/pour flush (to piped sewer system, septic tank, pit latrine), ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine, pit latrine with slab, and a composting toilet.

In the map shown, we see the share of people across the world who do not use improved sanitation.

How many people do not use improved sanitation?

In the map shown, we see the number of people across the world who do not have access to improved sanitation.

Open defecation

What share of people practice open defecation.

Open defecation refers to the practice of defecation in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water, or other open spaces.

Open defecation has a number of negative health and social impacts, including the spread of infectious diseases, diarrhea (especially in children), adverse health outcomes in pregnancy, malnutrition, as well as increased vulnerability to violence — particularly for women and girls. 2

The map shows the share of people practicing open defecation across the world.

Open defecation is mainly a rural issue

In the chart, we see the prevalence of open defecation in rural areas versus urban areas. For the majority of countries, the share of the population practicing open defecation in urban areas is typically quite low.

For rural populations, however, the share of the population practicing open defecation tends to be higher and varies markedly between countries.

Although open defecation in urban areas is still a pressing issue in many countries, the problem is much more prevalent in rural areas.

What determines levels of sanitation usage?

Usage of better sanitation facilities increases with income.

The provision of better sanitation facilities tends to increase with income. In the chart, we see the share of the population using improved sanitation versus gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.

Overall, we see that using improved sanitation increases as countries get richer.

Other health impacts of poor sanitation

Stunting is higher where usage of improved sanitation is low.

Stunting — determined as having a height-for-age more than two standard deviations below the WHO Child Growth Standards median — is a sign of chronic malnutrition . 3

Although linked to poor nutritional intake (which we cover in our topic page on hunger and undernourishment ), it is also linked to a range of compounding factors, including the recurrence of infectious diseases, childhood diarrhea, and poor sanitation & hygiene.

In the chart, we see the prevalence of stunting in children under five years old versus the share of the population using improved sanitation facilities. Overall, we see a negative correlation: rates of childhood stunting are typically higher in countries with lower usage of improved sanitation facilities.

Definitions

Categories of sanitation facilities:.

Safely managed sanitation facilities : Improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where:

• excreta is safely disposed of in situ or
• excreta is transported and treated off-site.

Basic service : Private improved facility which separates excreta from human contact;

Limited service : Improved facility shared with other households;

Unimproved service : Unimproved facility that does not separate excreta from human contact;

No service : open defecation.

Additional relevant definitions:

Improved sanitation facilities : Facilities that hygienically separate human excreta from human contact. They include flush/pour flush (to piped sewer system, septic tank, pit latrine), ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine, pit latrine with slab, and composting toilet.

Improved sanitation facilities range from simple but protected pit latrines to flush toilets with a sewerage connection. To be effective, facilities must be correctly constructed and properly maintained.  4

Improved sanitation facilities is an umbrella term for the "safely managed," "basic," and "limited" services listed above.

Open defecation : People practicing open defecation refers to the percentage of the population defecating in the open, such as in fields, forests, bushes, open bodies of water, on beaches, in other open spaces, or disposed of with solid waste.

WHO (2023) – Fact sheet – Drinking water. Updated October 2023. Online here .

Mara, D. (2017). The elimination of open defecation and its adverse health effects: a moral imperative for governments and development professionals.  Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development ,  7 (1), 1-12. Available online .

World Health Organization (2014). WHA Global Nutrition Targets 2025: Stunting Policy Brief. Available  online .

World Bank & WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation. World Development Indicators Metadata. Available online .

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Essay on Clean Water and Sanitation

Students are often asked to write an essay on Clean Water and Sanitation in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Clean Water and Sanitation

Importance of clean water.

Clean water is vital for life. Every living organism needs it for survival. It helps in digestion, removes toxins, and keeps us hydrated. Without clean water, we risk diseases.

Role of Sanitation

Sanitation is as important as clean water. It prevents the spread of germs, ensuring we stay healthy. Good sanitation practices include proper waste disposal and maintaining cleanliness.

Link Between Clean Water and Sanitation

Clean water and sanitation are interconnected. Contaminated water can lead to poor sanitation, and vice versa. Hence, both are essential for a healthy life.

250 Words Essay on Clean Water and Sanitation

Introduction.

Clean water and sanitation are fundamental components of human health and wellbeing. They are deeply intertwined with socioeconomic development, environmental sustainability, and human dignity.

The Importance of Clean Water

Sanitation: more than hygiene.

Sanitation extends beyond personal hygiene. It involves the management of human waste, solid waste, and wastewater. Proper sanitation practices reduce the incidence of diseases, enhance the quality of life, and contribute to social and economic development. Inadequate sanitation is a pressing issue in many parts of the world, leading to serious public health crises.

Linking Clean Water and Sanitation

The connection between clean water and sanitation is undeniable. Contaminated water sources due to poor sanitation practices can lead to the spread of diseases like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. Therefore, efforts to improve water quality must go hand in hand with improving sanitation facilities.

The challenges surrounding clean water and sanitation are formidable, but not insurmountable. Through concerted efforts from governments, communities, and individuals, we can ensure access to these fundamental human rights for everyone, thereby paving the way for a healthier, more sustainable world.

500 Words Essay on Clean Water and Sanitation

Clean water and sanitation are fundamental to human health and well-being. Despite being recognized as a human right by the United Nations, millions of people worldwide still lack access to these basic necessities. The importance of clean water and sanitation cannot be overstated, as they play a crucial role in preventing disease, promoting health, and improving overall quality of life.

Water is a vital resource for all forms of life. However, clean and safe drinking water is not universally available. Contaminated water can transmit diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio, leading to significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. Furthermore, the lack of clean water can impede social and economic development, as individuals may spend significant time and effort obtaining water, rather than engaging in productive activities or education.

The Necessity of Sanitation

Challenges and solutions.

Despite the critical importance of clean water and sanitation, numerous challenges hinder universal access. These include inadequate infrastructure, lack of funding, and insufficient awareness about the importance of hygiene. Addressing these challenges requires concerted efforts from governments, non-governmental organizations, and communities.

Infrastructure development is crucial for providing clean water and sanitation facilities, particularly in rural and marginalized areas. This includes building water purification systems, sewage treatment plants, and toilets. However, such initiatives require significant financial resources. Therefore, increased investment from both public and private sectors is necessary.

In conclusion, clean water and sanitation are not just basic human needs, but they are also fundamental human rights. Despite the challenges, achieving universal access to clean water and sanitation is possible through infrastructure development, increased funding, and education. By ensuring everyone has access to these basic services, we can significantly improve global health, foster social and economic development, and ultimately, create a more equitable world.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Health News of Saturday, 25 May 2024

Source: Priscilla Dakurah, Contributor

The impact of poor sanitation on public health in Ghana

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Poor sanitation has long been a significant issue in Ghana, particularly in its largest cities, reaching a critical point that instills fear and anxiety among residents. The root causes of this problem include high levels of illiteracy and ignorance, leading many to dispose of waste indiscriminately, resulting in numerous health challenges. Sanitation is a pressing social issue in Ghana, garnering significant attention from the government, officials, and stakeholders. There is a concerted effort to address this problem and transform Accra, the capital city, into the cleanest city in the country. However, the current state of the city is concerning, with poorly arranged structures, particularly in slum areas, and many residents living in dilapidated conditions. These areas are often surrounded by clogged gutters and overgrown lands, which become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and hiding places for reptiles. The primary cause of these sanitation problems is the lack of proper education on personal and public hygiene among some residents of Accra and its surroundings. This group, constituting about 80% of the affected population, is not adequately informed about the importance of good hygiene practices. During the rainy season, the situation worsens as overflowing gutters become dumping grounds for rubbish and human excreta. Residents hope that the running water will wash away the waste, but the reality is far from it. The gutters become clogged with debris, creating severe health risks for those living nearby. This environment fosters the outbreak of diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, and diarrhea. In response to this crisis, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Henry Quartey, launched the "Operation Clean Your Frontage" sanitation policy on February 1, 2022. During a meeting with security and national service personnel, he emphasized the continuity of this initiative, expressing hope that future regional ministers will sustain the effort. "This is not a nine-day wonder; we will continue with this exercise, and we want this exercise to stay with us so that one day when there is no Henry Quartey, another Greater Regional Minister will continue from there," he stated. The proverb "cleanliness is next to godliness" underscores the importance of a collaborative effort in maintaining clean surroundings. A clean environment fosters a healthy mind, and a healthy mind contributes to a healthy nation. Thus, it is crucial for everyone to work together to improve sanitation and public health in Ghana.

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Vicious Cycle of Poor Sanitation: From Sickness to Poverty

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The effects of poor water sanitation on communities

The effect of poor water and sanitation can have far-reaching and ill-fated effects for those who are required to use unsanitary toilet facilities and drink, bathe, cook with and use contaminated water.

In first world, western countries we take having clean, sanitary water for granted – we simply turn on a tap and have access to almost unlimited clean drinking water. The same with toilet and bathroom facilities. There are not too many people that live in Australia that need to think about the health impact on their community when it comes to toilet and water sanitation.

Why are good sanitation practices so important?

Many water-borne pathogens and infections are spread via contaminated water and contribute to issues like diarrhoea and cholera which have a lethal effect on people – particularly the very young and very old. For example, diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children under five, which is mostly preventable by clean water and sanitation ( source ).

By simply educating communities about proper sanitation procedures and implementing simple, safe water sanitation solutions like composting toilets, water tanks and solar power can have the following influences:-

• Reduction in water-borne pathogens
• Reduction in illnesses like diarrhea and cholera
• Better groundwater protection
• Whipworm (Trichuris trichiura)
• Roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoies)
• Dysentery (Entamoeba histolytic)
• Promotion of a healthier, happier community

By giving people the right education and products to promote healthy sanitation practices, the quality of life for millions of people can be vastly improved – that’s why the Ecoflo-WASH organisation is committed to working with Governments, Non-Government Organisations and other bodies to help provide products that literally change the lives of people in regions where poor sanitation is a daily burden.

What are the main causes of poor sanitation?

The biggest cause of poor sanitation globally is simply lack of education. Even the simple act of washing hands regularly can have a huge impact on the overall health of a community. There are many causes of poor sanitation, let’s explore a few of these.

Open defecation This is an area we focus on as Ecoflo-WASH has the capacity to help communities with composting toilets that will alleviate many of the issues surrounding open defecation. Put simply, open defecation fouls surrounding environments and is a major cause for the spread of preventable diseases.

Unsafe drinking water Unsafe, untreated and contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause more than 500,000 diarrhoeal deaths each year. Many of these could be prevented with simple sanitary practices and clean drinking water. Diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio are rife in areas where clean drinking water isn’t available.

High density living In areas where informal or temporary / semi permanent settlements crop up, the high density nature of these areas along with less access to sanitation programs and products means there’s a high likelihood of sewage and waste not being dealt with properly.

Lack of education This is a relatively easy issue to combat as education starts typically in the form of school programs teaching children the importance of healthy habits when it comes to sanitation, waste control, clean drinking water and washing their hands.

What happens to communities with poor sanitation?

The effects of poor sanitation can cause a large range of issues from health and well-being related through to economic and societal issues. The health issues alone make this a worthwhile cause to tackle for anyone that can involve themselves in helping those less fortunate than ourselves.

Health risks are often exacerbated by poor sanitation and hygiene practices and many preventable health problems and diseases can be avoided with a little education and the right environment and products (clean water, soap, water filters, composting toilets, grey water systems, etc).

Increased health issues There are many water borne diseases and pathogens that are harmful to humans that thrive in unsanitary conditions that are brought about by untreated water and issues related to open defecation. In some countries the cost of treating water borne diseases like  malaria, diarrhoea, and worm infections can represent up to a third of household incomes. This can be avoided with some safe hygiene practices, access to clean water and water sanitation solutions like composting toilets.

Increase in diseases Diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio can all be and are transmitted by contaminated water. Communities where there’s a high density of people combined with poor sanitary conditions means these horrific diseases can race through communities causing ill-health, ongoing health problems and death in severe cases.

Decrease in schooling Many children can’t attend school because of diseases and issues relating to poor sanitation. By simply not having the right toilet facilities at schools girls are less likely to be able to attend which impacts the broader community for many years into the future.

Downturn in economic opportunity Communities that suffer ill health and poor sanitation related issues are more likely to spend less time working because of health related issue and be required to spend more money on healthcare related to this. The investment of proper sanitation helps to create economic returns, can create jobs and contributes to the overall economy of the community.

What Ecoflo-WASH are doing to help communities practice proper sanitation

Here are Ecoflo-WASH we believe that everyone should have the right to clean drinking water and proper sanitation. We work closely with Governments, Non-Government Organisations and other charities, bodies and companies to help coordinate, procure and install proper waste water sanitation solutions for the communities and villages that need it most.

Recently we’ve helped the island of Rambusto in Papua New Guinea (with the assistance of Friends of Rambutso ) by installing a composting toilet available to the entire community. This stopped open defecation on the island along with helping the community learn about proper hygiene practices that can stop many preventable diseases.

You can view some more of our case studies here . If you’re interested in working with Ecoflo-WASH on a community project, please contact us and we would be happy to speak with about how our water and sanitation expertise may be able to assist.  

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Poor Sanitation In Ghana

For any social and economic development, adequate sanitation in conjunction with good hygiene and safe water are essential to good health. Lack of proper sanitation causes diseases and reduce the quality and function of life. Drinking water supply and sanitation sector is one of the key sectors in the country despite the number of challenges it faces which includes limited access to proper sanitation, limited access to safe drinking water in rural and some urban areas, high water losses and low water pressure. Improper sanitation has become a very serious problem which poses danger to the individuals, families, communities and the nation at large. Discussed in this article are some of the causes, effects and solutions to improper sanitation in Ghana.

One of the major causes of poor sanitation is improper disposal of waste. Solid waste management is nothing to write home about although involvement of the private sector has brought about some improvement. People dispose waste materials indiscriminately on the streets which when there is any heavy downpour, choke gutters and eventually result in flooding. We live in a country where a citizen will finish eating from a plastic material and dump it on the streets, expecting another citizen to come and pick it from that place. Disposition of organic and inorganic waste products into water bodies also impair the quality of water bodies and the lives of species within them are also endangered. These water bodies are the same source of drinking water in our various homes

Another cause of poor sanitation is lack of improved sanitation facilities. Improved proper sanitation facilities such as toilets and latrines promote health because they allow people to dispose of their waste materials appropriately. This is the case our country does not have enough of these facilities. Hence, individuals dispose of waste inappropriately. There are not enough dustbins on the streets to dump waste into, not enough toilet facilities to ease oneself when the need arises. This makes people defecate in the open and in water bodies which pollute the environment, cause diseases and harm species in water bodies.

Poor sanitation has negative effects on the individual, environment and nation at large. One major negative effect of poor sanitation is its bad impact on health. Improper disposal of waste can greatly affect the health of the population living nearby the polluted areas or landfills. Waste disposal workers and other employees in these landfill facilities are at a greater risk. Exposure to improperly handled wastes can cause skin irritations, blood infectious, respiratory problems, growth problems, and even reproductive issues.

Soil contamination is also one of the problems caused by improper waste disposal and removal. Some wastes that end up in landfills excrete hazardous chemicals that leak into the soil. In the case of plastic materials, when they eventually break down, they release DEHA, a carcinogen that affects our reproduction systems, causes liver dysfunction and weight loss. Soil contamination does not only affect plant growth, it is also unhealthy to humans and animals that feed on those plants.

Poor sanitation also has impact on animals and marine life. Animals likewise suffer the effects of pollution caused by improperly disposed waste and rubbish. Animals who consume grasses near contaminated areas of landfills are also at risk of poisoning due to the toxins that seep into the soil.

Poor sanitation also adversely affect the local economy. Individuals want to stay in a healthy, clean, fresh and sanitary place. A setting with poor waste management will certainly not attract tourists and investors. This eventually reduces productivity and sinks the local economy.

In order to improve sanitation, there is the need to educate the public on the need to maintain a sanitized environment. Educating individuals on proper sanitation will make them aware of some of the actions that involve improper waste disposal and its related activities. Various platforms that could be used include newspaper, radio talk shows on sanitation and organization of community clean up exercises. Organization of community clean up exercises has to do with community involvement. Hence, indulging the members in the community in such exercises will make them aware on the need to maintain a sanitized environment.

Furthermore, there should be the provision of improved sanitation facilities to curb the issue of improper waste disposal. Sanitation facilities such as toilets, latrines, when provided will drastically reduce the case of individuals defecating in water bodies and in the open. Dustbins should also be made available on the streets and homes to ensure effective and proper waste disposal at homes and on the streets. There should also be proper management of landfills in the country since many areas in the country do not have such areas to dispose waste materials

Recycling of plastic materials will also help reduce the number of waste plastic products on the streets and in water bodies. Water bodies tend to carry away a lot of these plastic materials which could be recycled.

Smart enforcement of sanitation by-laws in Ghana is a major factor to consider in improving proper sanitation. The Local Government Act (Act 462) includes by-laws requiring landlords to provide toilets for their tenants, with associated penalties for defaulters. These by-laws are a crucial part of the multi-pronged approach needed to achieve national sanitation targets, but they are rarely enforced. The by-laws give local authorities the power to fine landlords or bring them to court if they default. Defaulters of these laws should be sanctioned in order to deter others from doing same.

The government has an active role to play when it comes to improving sanitation so as individual citizens. Each individual must play a role in getting rid of improper sanitation and in promoting sanitation in our various environments. Our little efforts should be pushed further to help promote proper sanitation in our homes, communities and the nation at large.

Theophilus Owusu-Banahene Level 200 Physician Assistant Student University of Cape-Coast.

Disclaimer:  "The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana official position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here." Follow our WhatsApp channel for meaningful stories picked for your day.

Well done I really like this article Keep it up Theophilus

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Essay on environmental sanitation | environment.

Here is an essay on ‘Environmental Sanitation’ for class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Environmental Sanitation’ especially written for school and college students.

Essay on Environmental Sanitation

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Essay Contents:

• Essay on Environmental Sanitation of Urban Area

Essay # 1. Introduction to Environmental Sanitation:

“Once we can secure access to clean water and to adequate sanitation facilities for all people, irrespective of the difference in their living conditions, a huge battle against all kinds of diseases will be won.” — WHO

Environmental sanitation envisages promotion of health of the community by providing clean environment and breaking the cycle of disease. It depends on various factors that include hygiene status of the people, types of resources available, innovative and appropriate technologies according to the requirement of the community, socioeconomic development of the country, cultural factors related to environmental sanitation, political commitment, capacity building of the concerned sectors, social factors including behavioural pattern of the community, legislative measures adopted, and others.

India is still lagging far behind many countries in the field of environmental sanitation. The unsanitary conditions are appalling in India and need a great sanitary awakening similar to what took place in London in the mid-19th century. Improvement in sanitation requires newer strategies and targeted interventions with follow- up evaluation.

The need of the hour is to identify the existing system of environmental sanitation with respect to its structure and functioning and to prioritize the control strategies according to the need of the country. These priorities are particularly important because of issue of water constraints, environment-related health problems, rapid population growth, inequitable distribution of water resources, issues related to administrative problems, urbanization and industrialization, migration of population, and rapid economic growth.

ADVERTISEMENTS: (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Essay # 2. Current Scenario of Environmental Sanitation :

As per estimates, inadequate sanitation cost India almost $54 billion or 6.4% of the country’s GDP in 2006. Over 70% of this economic impact or about $38.5 billion was health-related, with diarrhea followed by acute lower respiratory infections accounting for 12% of the health- related impacts.

Evidence suggests that all water and sanitation improvements are cost-beneficial in all developing world sub-regions sectoral demands for water are growing rapidly in India owing mainly to urbanization and it is estimated that by 2025, more than 50% of the country’s population will live in cities and towns.

Population increase, rising incomes, and industrial growth are also responsible for this dramatic shift. National Urban Sanitation Policy 2008 was the recent development in order to rapidly promote sanitation in urban areas of the country. India’s Ministry of Urban Development commissioned the survey as part of its National Urban Sanitation Policy in November 2008.

In rural areas, local government institutions in charge of operating and maintaining the infrastructure are seen as weak and lack the financial resources to carry out their functions. In addition, no major city in India is known to have a continuous water supply and an estimated 72% of Indians still lack access to improved sanitation facilities.

Essay # 3. Strategies of Environmental Sanitation :

A number of innovative approaches to improve water supply and sanitation have been tested in India, in particular in the early 2000s. These include demand-driven approaches in rural water supply since 1999, community-led total sanitation, public-private partnerships to improve the continuity of urban water supply in Karnataka, and the use of microcredit to women in order to improve access to water.

Total sanitation campaign gives strong emphasis on Information, Education, and Communication (IEC), capacity building and hygiene education for effective behaviour change with involvement of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), community-based organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), etc.

The key intervention areas are individual household latrines (IHHL), school sanitation and hygiene education (SSHE), community sanitary complex, Anganwadi toilets supported by Rural Sanitary Marts (RSMs), and production centers (PCs). The main goal of the government of India (GOI) is to eradicate the practice of open defecation by 2010.

To give fillip to this endeavor, GOI has launched Nirmal Gram Puraskar to recognize the efforts in terms of cash awards for fully covered PRIs and those individuals and institutions who have contributed significantly in ensuring full sanitation coverage in their area of operation. The project is being implemented in rural areas taking district as a unit of implementation.

A recent study highlighted that policy shift to include better household water quality management to complement the continuing expansion of coverage and upgrading of services would appear to be a cost-effective health intervention in many developing countries.

Most of the interventions (including multiple interventions, hygiene, and water quality) were found to significantly reduce the levels of diarrheal illness, with the greatest impact being seen for hygiene and household treatment interventions. Interventions to improve water quality at the household level are more effective than those at the source.

Unfortunately, in developing countries, public health concerns are usually raised on the institutional setting, such as municipal services, hospitals, and environmental sanitation. There is a reluctance to acknowledge the home as a setting of equal importance along with the public institutions in the chain of disease transmission in the community.

Managers of home hygiene and community hygiene must act in unison to optimize return from efforts to promote public health. A survey through in-depth interviews with more than 800 households in the city of Hyderabad in India concluded that, even if provided with market (not concessional) rates of financing, a substantial proportion of poor households would invest in water and sewer network connections.

The role of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality emphasizes an integrated approach to water quality assessment and management from source to consumer. It emphasizes on quality protection and prevention of contamination and advises to be proactive and participatory, and address the needs of those in developing countries who have no access to piped community water supplies.

The guidelines emphasize the maintenance of microbial quality to prevent waterborne infectious disease as an essential goal. In addition, they address protection from chemical toxicants and other contaminants of public health concern.

When sanitation conditions are poor, water quality improvements may have minimal impact regardless of amount of water contamination. If each transmission pathway alone is sufficient to maintain diarrheal disease, single-pathway interventions will have minimal benefit, and ultimately an intervention will be successful only if all sufficient pathways are eliminated.

However, when one pathway is critical to maintaining the disease, public health efforts should focus on this critical pathway. The positive impact of improved water quality is greatest for families living under good sanitary conditions, with the effect statistically significant when sanitation is measured at the community level but not significant when sanitation is measured at the household level.

Improving drinking water quality would have no effect in neighbourhoods with very poor environmental sanitation; however, in areas with better community sanitation, reducing the concentration of fecal coliforms by two orders of magnitude would lead to a 40% reduction in diarrhoea.

Providing private excreta disposal would be expected to reduce diarrhoea by 42%, while eliminating excreta around the house would lead to a 30% reduction in diarrhoea. The findings suggest that improvements in both water supply and sanitation are necessary if infant health in developing countries is to be improved.

They also imply that it is not epidemiologic but behavioural, institutional, and economic factors that should correctly determine the priority of interventions. Another study highlighted that water quality interventions to the point-of-use water treatment were found to be more effective than previously thought, and multiple interventions (consisting of combined water, sanitation, and hygiene measures) were not more effective than interventions with a single focus.

Studies have shown that hand washing can reduce diarrhoea episodes by about 30%. This significant reduction is comparable to the effect of providing clean water in low-income areas.

Lack of safe water supply, poor environmental sanitation, improper disposal of human excreta, and poor personal hygiene help to perpetuate and spread diarrheal diseases in India. Since diarrheal diseases are caused by 20-25 pathogens, vaccination, though an attractive disease prevention strategy, is not feasible.

However, as the majority of childhood diarrhoeas are caused by Vibrio cholerae, Shigella edysenteriae type 1, rotavirus, and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli which have a high morbidity and mortality, vaccines against these organisms are essential for the control of epidemics. A strong political will with appropriate budgetary allocation is essential for the control of childhood diarrheal diseases in India.

Management Approach based on Community:

National water policies are shifting to community-based management approach because local authorities are in daily contact with users, of whom about 50% are women. Historically, national policy shifted from attention to distribution of investments in the water sector to reorganization of water agencies and to building up the capacity of private or voluntary agencies.

The local context allows for more efficient and effective responses to local conditions. Local institutions and groups are better equipped to solicit local participation. Local water resource planning is very important in strengthening the economic and individual capacity of poor people in under-developed areas.

Experience in Mahesana, Banaskantha, and Sabarkantha in Gujarat state supports this lesson learned. One of the obstacles in Gujarat to water resource development is identified as increased demand for public water services and inadequate provision of services due to remoteness of the area and financial limitations of central agencies. Infrastructure is also poorly maintained.

Providing private excreta disposal would be expected to reduce diarrhoea by 42%, while eliminating excreta around the house would lead to a 30% reduction in diarrhea. The findings suggest that improvements in both water supply and sanitation are necessary if infant health in developing countries is to be improved. They also imply that it is not epidemiologic but behavioural, institutional, and economic factors that should correctly determine the priority of interventions.

Morbidity and mortality due to waterborne diseases have not declined commensurate with increase in availability of potable water supply. More importantly, young children bear a huge part of the burden of disease resulting from the lack of hygiene. India still loses between 0.4 and 0.5 million children under 5 years due to diarrhoea.

While infant mortality and under 5 mortality rates have declined over the years for the country as a whole, in many states, these have stagnated in recent years, one of the reasons is the failure to make significant headway in improving personal and home hygiene, especially in the care of young children and the conditions surrounding birth.

Few More Developments:

The agriculture sector accounts for between 90 and 95% of surface and groundwater in India, while industry and the domestic sector account for the remaining. At the same time, several important measures are being taken to deal with the above issues, on the water resources management front, the National Water Policy, 2002 recognizes the need for well-developed information systems at the national and state levels, places strong emphasis on non-conventional methods for utilization such as inter-basin transfers, artificial recharge, desalination of brackish or sea water, as well as traditional water conservation practices such as rainwater harvesting, etc., to increase utilizable water resources.

It also advocates watershed management through extensive soil conservation, catchment area treatment, preservation of forests, and increasing forest cover and the construction of check dams. The policy also recognizes the potential need to reorganize and reorient institutional arrangements for the sector and emphasizes the need to maintain existing infrastructure.

While no comprehensive study on equity issues relating to water supply, sanitation, and health has been conducted for the country as a whole, common equity issues that plague the sector in most developing countries also hold true for India. In addition, comprehensive studies on the economic value of the water and sanitation sector in India also do not exist.

It is important to reiterate the need for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation [RWSS] and Urban Water Supply and Sanitation [UWSS] agencies to operate hand-in-hand with their health and education counterparts to jointly monitor indicators of RWSS, UWSS, health, education, poverty, and equity in order to make significant headway in the respective sectors. Existing health promotion and education programmes should be made more effective and geared toward achieving behavior changes needed to improve hygiene.

Essay # 4. Environmental Sanitation of Urban Area:

Percent of urban population without proper sanitation in India is 63%. The 11th Five Year Plan envisages 100% coverage of urban water, urban sewerage, and rural sanitation by 2012. Although investment in water supply and sanitation is likely to see a jump of 221% in the 11th plan over the 10th plan, the targets do not take into account both the quality of water being provided, or the sustainability of systems being put in place.

Increasing emphasis on use of information technology applications in urban governance and management to ensure quick access to information, planning, and decision support systems are the primary concern areas related to environmental sanitation. Solid waste management is also increasingly seen as an important area in UWSS.

Legislation on municipal waste handling and management has been passed in October 2000. Some strategies on solid waste management include preparation of town-wise master plans, training of municipal staff, IEC and awareness generation, involvement of community-based and non-governmental organizations, setting up and operation of compost plants via NGOs and the private sector, enhancement of the capacities of some state structures such as State Compost Development Corporations with emphasis on commercial operations and private sector involvement.

Variations in housing type, density and settlement layout, poverty status, and access to networked services will lead to different solutions for sanitation in different parts of the city or within the same neighbourhood.

Challenges Ahead:

1. Prevention of contamination of water in distribution systems,

2. Growing water scarcity and the potential for water reuse and conservation,

3. Implementing innovative low-cost sanitation system,

4. Providing sustainable water supplies and sanitation for urban and semi-urban areas,

5. Reducing disparities within the regions in the country,

6. Sustainability of water and sanitation services.

The public health challenge inherent in meeting the MDG targets is ensuring that improvements result in access to water and sanitation for the critical at-risk populations. Innovative approaches are required to ensure the availability of low-cost, simple, and locally acceptable water and sanitation interventions and integrating these approaches into existing social institutions such as schools, markets, and health facilities.

Finally, it is concluded that implementation of low-cost sanitation system with lower subsidies, greater household involvement, range of technology choices, options for sanitary complexes for women, rural drainage systems, IEC and awareness building, involvement of NGOs and local groups, availability of finance, human resource development, and emphasis on school sanitation are the important areas to be considered.

Also appropriate forms of private participation and public private partnerships, evolution of a sound sector policy in Indian context, and emphasis on sustainability with political commitment are prerequisites to bring the change.

Related Articles:

• Poor Sanitation: 11 Reasons for Poor Sanitation in India
• Environmental Resource Management in Indi

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Water — Use of Clean Water: Review of the Issue of Water Pollution

Clean Water and Sanitation: Review of The Issue of Water Pollution

• Categories: Water Water Pollution Water Quality

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Words: 709 |

Published: Feb 12, 2019

Words: 709 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Uses of clean water, causes of water contamination, effects of unclean water, some facts and figures (referred from undp), hook examples for essay on access to clean water.

• A Thirst for Change: Step into the arid landscapes where the lack of clean water threatens lives daily, and explore how access to clean water can be the catalyst for transformative change.
• The Ripple Effect of Clean Water: Delve into the far-reaching impact of clean water access on communities, from improved health and education to economic growth, and understand how this basic necessity can create a wave of positive change.
• Voices from the Wells: Hear the stories of individuals who have struggled without access to clean water and learn about their resilience, highlighting the urgency of addressing this global crisis.
• From Scarcity to Sustainability: Explore innovative solutions and initiatives aimed at ensuring a sustainable future for clean water access, and the role each of us can play in this vital mission.
• The Right to Clean Water: Examine the fundamental human right to clean water, recognized by the United Nations, and consider the ethical and moral imperatives of providing this essential resource to all people worldwide.

Works Cited

• Hutton, G., & Bartram, J. (2008). Global costs of attaining the Millennium Development Goal for water supply and sanitation. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 86(1), 13-19.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals: Clean Water and Sanitation.
• United Nations Water. (2019). World Water Development Report 2019: Leaving No One Behind. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved from http://www.unwater.org/publications/world-water-development-report-2019-leaving-no-one-behind/
• Water.org. (n.d.). Water facts. Retrieved from https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/water-facts/
• Water for Good. (n.d.). Our impact. Retrieved from https://waterforgood.org/our-impact/
• World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). Water, sanitation and hygiene for accelerating and sustaining progress on neglected tropical diseases: A global strategy 2015-2020. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press.
• World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2020: Five years into the Sustainable Development Goals. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press.
• World Health Organization (WHO) & United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2019). Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2000-2017. New York, NY: UNICEF.
• World Health Organization (WHO) & United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2021). Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG baselines. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF). (n.d.). Water scarcity.

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