The National Sanitation Week combines Global Hand-Washing Day and World Toilet Day which has been observed on November 15 –19.
One billion people still defecate in the open. Poor sanitation
increases the risk of disease and malnutrition, especially for women and
children and Tanzania is no exception.
This year, World Toilet Day and Sanitation Week is focusing on the
link between sanitation and nutrition, drawing the world’s attention to
the importance of toilets in supporting better nutrition and improved
health.
Lack of access to clean drinking water and sanitation, along with
the absence of good hygiene practices, are among the underlying causes
of poor nutrition.
The aim of World Toilet Day is to raise awareness about the people
in the world who don’t have access to a toilet, despite the fact that it
is a human right to have clean water and sanitation.
On this day people are encouraged to take action and help promote the idea that more needs to be done.
In Tanzania, about 30,000 people die each year from diarrhea.
About 60 to 80 per cent of all out patients had diseases caused by
lack of water and sanitation. It is therefore important to urge citizens
to wash fruits before eating and to always wash hands with soap and
clean water after using the toilet.
In the same vein, 60 per cent of schools in the country do not have
improved toilet facilities and very few have hand washing points and
sanitation facilities for pupils with disabilities are rarely provided
and that teachers and other staff suffer the same plight.
It is expected that the National Sanitation Campaign (NSC) will
reach 1.52 million households in a span of four years and 812 schools
will be provided with improved toilet facilities and hand washing
points.
Therefore, the best way to sustainably reduce life-threatening
diseases such as diarrhea is through the use of safe drinking water,
sanitation and improved hygiene practices.
The state of sanitation – and hand-washing in particular – remains a
useful indicator of human development in any community and Tanzania is
no exception.
Sanitation has been a challenge not only to Tanzania but also to
other developing countries in the world. Global Handwashing Day (GHWD)
was introduced for the purpose of increasing awareness and understanding
of the importance of hand-washing with soap, as an affordable way to
prevent infectious diseases.
The GHWD, World Toilet Day (WTD) and Sanitation Week have proven to
be useful platforms for igniting discussion surrounding sanitation and
hygiene issues, both at national and local level. Through these events,
various activities are being conducted across the country with the aim
of creating avenues for advocacy to policy and decision makers, and to
convey key messages to targeted groups, such as school children, and the
general public at large.
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