Despite Progress, South Asia Faces Daunting Challenges in Water & Sanitation

A girl washes her hands and face with soap and water at a water tap, installed with the support of HSBC and WaterAid, in Sylhet District, Bangladesh. Credit: WaterAid/Abir AbdullahBy Vanita SunejaNEW DELHI, Jul 16 2018 (IPS)In 2030, when I would be turning sixty, I’d like to tell my grandchildren the story of how – once upon a time – the lives of poor people in South Asia were transformed: that leaders came together to bring economic prosperity and social development to people that until then had lived in an unequal and polluted world. What I am more likely to tell them, is how – even with the knowledge that nearly 800 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation – governments failed to act and people remain locked in a cycle of ill-health and poverty.Ending the cycle of poverty absolutely by 2030, without leaving behind a single person, is the most ambitious promise made to date by world leaders in 2015 when they adopted the sustainable development goals: which included the provision of universal access to water and sanitation that is essential for achieving significant progress in health, education and equality.When people have access to clean water and decent sanitation, their wellbeing increases: women and girls have time to go to school because they don’t have to fetch water for their families – this responsibility often falls on the female members or a family, and with better health comes increased product...

Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - July 16, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Vanita Suneja Tags: Asia-Pacific Development & Aid Environment Featured Headlines Health Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Water & Sanitation Source Type: news