Int'l year of sanitation, national hand washing campaign launched
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Adviser for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mohammad Anwarul Iqbal said Saturday, it is possible to prevent 70 per cent of water and excreta-borne diseases through practicing proper hand washing across the country, reports BSS.
Iqbal as the chief guest was addressing the launching ceremony of the International Year of Sanitation 2008 and National Hand Washing Campaign on the World Water Day at a five star hotel in the city.
The adviser said, this year the national sanitation campaign 'Sanitation for All by 2010' will be stimulated to a great extent.
He pointed out that lack of hygienic sanitation facilities was seriously affecting safe water supply, environment and the public health situation in the country. Without ensuring sustainable sanitation facilities it was impossible to prevent water and environment pollution.
In preventing water pollution and improving the public health situation this year's theme of the World Water Day 2008 'Sanitation' has been appropriate, the adviser noted.
"Sanitation does not mean merely installation of latrines at household level. Although hygienic latrine installation is a prerequisite to ensure sanitation, yet the basic hygiene practices including hand washing practice are integral parts of sanitation," the adviser added.
Iqbal pointed out the declaration of 'Sanitation for All by 2010' which had been envisioned by government of Bangladesh in 2003 and said, the latrine coverage had risen from 33 per cent in 2003 to 84.73 per cent by June 2007 which has a remarkable success towards sanitation coverage. But, he said, it had been observed from newspaper as well as research findings that besides installation of latrines, the hygienic use of latrine, hand washing practice and hygiene promotion had not been emphasized properly.
The launching of the International Year of Sanitation and the national Hand Washing Campaign will help sensitize people towards proper hand washing practice and maintaining other health and hygiene principles, Iqbal said.
Chaired by Local Government Secretary Shaikh Khurshid Alam, the ceremony was addressed by Paul Edwards of UNICEF and Chris
Austin of DFID as special guests. Andrew Trevett, Environmental Health Adviser of WHO read out the speech of WHO Representative Duangvadee Sungkhobol. Prof Mujibur Rahman of BUET presented keynote paper, joint secretary Lokman Hakin Talukder made the address of welcome while DPHE chief engineer Mostafizur Rahman gave vote of thanks.
Representatives from the concerned ministries, government agencies, UN bodies, development partners, national and international development organizations, academics and mass-media participated in the ceremony.
In the speech Sungkhobol explained the importance of launching hand washing campaign saying that it would stimulate the national Sanitation Campaign of 'Sanitation for All by 2010'. She expressed, WHO would give necessary support to the government to make the new campaign a success.
Paul Edwards stated, an integrated and community- based programme could make significant improvements in their lives, through changing their hand washing practices, investing in household toilets, and organizing themselves to install and look after their water points. With a little support and encouragement, communities had the potential to make the difference, he added.
Iqbal as the chief guest was addressing the launching ceremony of the International Year of Sanitation 2008 and National Hand Washing Campaign on the World Water Day at a five star hotel in the city.
The adviser said, this year the national sanitation campaign 'Sanitation for All by 2010' will be stimulated to a great extent.
He pointed out that lack of hygienic sanitation facilities was seriously affecting safe water supply, environment and the public health situation in the country. Without ensuring sustainable sanitation facilities it was impossible to prevent water and environment pollution.
In preventing water pollution and improving the public health situation this year's theme of the World Water Day 2008 'Sanitation' has been appropriate, the adviser noted.
"Sanitation does not mean merely installation of latrines at household level. Although hygienic latrine installation is a prerequisite to ensure sanitation, yet the basic hygiene practices including hand washing practice are integral parts of sanitation," the adviser added.
Iqbal pointed out the declaration of 'Sanitation for All by 2010' which had been envisioned by government of Bangladesh in 2003 and said, the latrine coverage had risen from 33 per cent in 2003 to 84.73 per cent by June 2007 which has a remarkable success towards sanitation coverage. But, he said, it had been observed from newspaper as well as research findings that besides installation of latrines, the hygienic use of latrine, hand washing practice and hygiene promotion had not been emphasized properly.
The launching of the International Year of Sanitation and the national Hand Washing Campaign will help sensitize people towards proper hand washing practice and maintaining other health and hygiene principles, Iqbal said.
Chaired by Local Government Secretary Shaikh Khurshid Alam, the ceremony was addressed by Paul Edwards of UNICEF and Chris
Austin of DFID as special guests. Andrew Trevett, Environmental Health Adviser of WHO read out the speech of WHO Representative Duangvadee Sungkhobol. Prof Mujibur Rahman of BUET presented keynote paper, joint secretary Lokman Hakin Talukder made the address of welcome while DPHE chief engineer Mostafizur Rahman gave vote of thanks.
Representatives from the concerned ministries, government agencies, UN bodies, development partners, national and international development organizations, academics and mass-media participated in the ceremony.
In the speech Sungkhobol explained the importance of launching hand washing campaign saying that it would stimulate the national Sanitation Campaign of 'Sanitation for All by 2010'. She expressed, WHO would give necessary support to the government to make the new campaign a success.
Paul Edwards stated, an integrated and community- based programme could make significant improvements in their lives, through changing their hand washing practices, investing in household toilets, and organizing themselves to install and look after their water points. With a little support and encouragement, communities had the potential to make the difference, he added.