Hygiene, sanitation awareness to prevent water-borne diseases underscored

RAJSHAHI, May 13 (BSS): Speakers at a participatory discussion here underscored the need for collective efforts for hundred percent expansion of hygiene for substantial and sustainable prevention of water-borne diseases which cause many premature deaths in the country every year.
They viewed hygiene awareness and knowledge of the links between poor hygiene and disease are lowest among the typically poorly-educated slum dwellers. Poor sanitation contributes to high levels of acute respiratory infections and diarrhea, which kill many children every year.
Besides, poor sanitation practices in both rural and urban areas are exacerbated by seasonal flooding which ruins many water sources and latrines and hampers efforts to build new ones.
The observations came at a divisional level advocacy workshop styled "National Hygiene Promotion Strategy for Water Supply and Sanitation Sector in Bangladesh 2012" held in Jafar Imam Tennis Complex in Rajshahi city.
Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner's Office organised the workshop in association with Policy Support Unit and Wateraid Bangladesh.
The workshop discussed elaborately on how to establish social accountability for improving the provisions for basic services like water and sanitation to the division's poor households. More than 100 persons comprising government and non-government officials and other stakeholders from eight districts under Rajshahi division were present at the programme.
Commissioner of Rajshahi division Helaluddin Ahmed addressed the discussion as chief guest with Munir Hossain, additional commissioner, in the chair. The chief guest said the promotion of better hygiene alone or in combination with better water supply and sanitation can have a major impact on reducing disease prevalence and public and private health costs.