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WHO thumbs up for Swachh Bharat’s rural component
Why in the news ?
- According to World Health Organisation (WHO) report, released on 3 August 2018, It is estimated that the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) will result in preventing more than three lakh deaths due to diarrhoea and protein-energy malnutrition between 2014-October 2019.
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- The WHO study showed that before the initiation of SBM-G, unsafe sanitation caused 199 million cases of diarrhoea annually and that by 2019, the initiative aims to achieve 100% sanitation coverage.
- The report said, India’s rural sanitation coverage escalated to 89.07% till August 2.
- The report notes that under the SBM-G, 19 States and Union Territories were declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) and 7.9 crore toilets were built, while 421 districts were declared ODF.
- Also, more than 4.9 lakh villages in the country were declared ODF.
- The report further estimated that 14 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) can be avoided between 2014 and 2019.
- WHO estimation of health impacts is based on comparative risk assessment (CRA) methods.
Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin
- SBM was launched in October 2014 to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation.
- The mission aims to achieve Swachh Bharat or make India clean by 2019, as a fitting tribute to 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
- The SBM consists of two sub-missions Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), implemented in rural areas, and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), implemented in urban areas.
- SBM-G seeks to eliminate open defecation in rural areas by improving access to sanitation by ensuring use of toilets, besides their construction.
- It motivates communities and Panchayati Raj institutions to adopt sustainable sanitation practices.
Source
The Hindu.