Sanitation Updates
This news feed on sanitation is maintained by the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and by USAID’s WASHplus project. It was originally set up to promote the 2008 International Year of Sanitation and continues to provide news, information and resources in support of achieving the goal of sanitation for all.
Pakistan - March 4 launch of IYS 2008
03 Mar 08
Pakistan would formally launch the United Nation (UN)’s declaration of 2008 as International Year of Sanitation (IYS) by kicking off its activities on Tuesday. The UN General Assembly at its session had declared 2008 as IYS with the overall objective of accelerating progress on sanitation to help saving lives and foster economic and social development. [...]
PAKISTAN: Mindset change key to changing rural toilet habits
03 Mar 08
MIR GHULAM SHAH, 3 March 2008 (IRIN) - Until just a year ago Jan Bibi and her five daughters aged 6-18 began their day by getting up before sunrise, walking a couple of hundred metres from their home to a filthy enclosed communal space, digging a small hole and relieving themselves. The alternative was to [...]
EGYPT: Lack of modern sanitation systems threatens groundwater, health
03 Mar 08
CAIRO, 3 March 2008 (IRIN) - Nearly all Egyptians - 98 percent of the population - have access to piped water but only some have proper sanitation facilities. Not much attention has been paid to the effective and safe disposal of sewage, especially in rural areas, say specialists.In rural areas - deserts and agricultural areas [...]
Dignity for All: Sanitation, Hygiene and HIV/AIDS [presentation]
01 Mar 08
A Powerpoint presentation by Merri Weinger, USAID, given at the Side Meeting on Sanitation, Hygiene and HIV/AIDS Sanitation, Hygiene and HIV/AIDS at the AfricaSan 2008 Conference.Read the presentation (PDF, 380 KB)
China cracks down on water polluters with new law
01 Mar 08
28 Feb 2008 11:15:49 GMTSource: Reuters BEIJING, Feb 28 (Reuters) - China heightened pressure on polluters on Thursday, passing legislation that allows for stiff fines against heads of companies that foul its scarce water resources.Read more
Ghana - International Year of Sanitation launched
29 Feb 08
The Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson has said that good sanitation is the foundation of health, dignity and development. He said this at the launching of the International Year of Sanitation held in Accra.Speaking on the theme ‘Building partnership for improved sanitation’, he said sanitation issue are not the responsibility [...]
ASEAN countries suffer huge economic loss from poor sanitation
29 Feb 08
BALI, Indonesia, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) — Four countries in Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam have suffered 9 billion U.S. dollars economic loss annually due to poor implementation of sanitation, about 2 percent of their combined GDP, a recent study conducted by the World Bank has said.The study said that Indonesia, the biggest [...]
Africa - Investing in sanitation is a goldmine
29 Feb 08
Expert reports indicate that countries worldwide are failing to invest in sanitation, a sector that yields $9 worth of benefits for every $1 spent. 2008 is the UN’s international year of sanitation, did you know that? Well here are some statistics!Meeting the global sanitation goal which is to halve the number of people without access [...]
South Asia workshop: Sanitation and hygiene programmes must reach the poor
29 Feb 08
Participants at the South Asia Sanitation and Hygiene practitioners’ workshop in Bangladesh from 29 to 31 January 2008 identified five priority messages they will push in 2008:Sanitation and hygiene programmes must reach the poor and this is what should guide partnerships.More policy focus and funds are needed for urban sanitation for the poor.Local government and [...]
AfricaSan Ministerial Statement and Civil Society Statement published
29 Feb 08
The eThekwini (Ministerial) Declaration made at the AfricaSan conference on Sanitation and Hygiene has now been posted on the conference website. A few notable pledges mentioned are:To review, update and adopt national sanitation and hygiene policies within 12 months of AfricaSan 2008; establish one national plan for accelerating progress to meet national sanitation goals and [...]
