Getting it right : improving maternal health through water, sanitation & hygiene

“Some very basic elements of human development related to water, sanitation and hygiene that were accepted in the 19th and early 20^th  centuries are still unavailable to a large proportion of pregnant women in the 21st century”, write the authors of a new Simavi study[1].

 Each year 290,000 women die from complications during pregnancy, birth and the neonatal period; and, an estimated 10 to 20 million women suffer from related health complications. Almost 90% of the maternal deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Much of this is preventable through practices that have long been established. 

The Simavi study reviews published literature describing the impact of water, sanitation and hygiene on maternal health and mortality.

Two studies showed significant correlations between increased access to water and sanitation and reductions in maternal mortality. Specific evidence was found relating to the impact of water carrying and water and sanitation-related infections on pregnant women, and to the impact of hygiene during and after delivery.

However, relatively few high quality studies were found on the basis of which generalisations can be made about the specific linkages between water, sanitation and hygiene on the one hand and maternal health on the other.

There was much more literature on the impact of hygienic practices during delivery on neonatal mortality. Clean delivery procedures are key to preventing neonatal deaths. Unhygienic practices during delivery that cause death of the newborn baby are also likely to have an impact on the health of the mother.

Even though it is clear how important is for mothers to have access to safe water, sanitation and clean birthing, they often have little influence on expenditures and decisions that would improve these services.

The study suggests that the educational/promotional aspects relating to WASH and (maternal and newborn) health should be improved and addressed from pregnancy up to child care.  Similarly, health centres and hospitals should have running water, clean toilets, safe refuse disposal, clean beds and areas for deliveries. Consistent hygiene in clinics and hospitals should be ensured. More high-quality research is needed on the linkages between WASH and maternal health in the context of low-income countries.

Source: Sanitation Updates

Make Right to Water, Sanitation a law: UN chief

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all member states to integrate the right to water and sanitation into their body of laws, Xinhua reported on Thursday.

Ban’s statement came as he addressed the UN General Assembly during a plenary meeting on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation.

"Many of your governments have already included the rights to water and sanitation in your Constitutions and your domestic legislation," Ban said. "Those governments that have yet to do so should follow suit without delay."

He said that a lack of water and sanitation is widespread and often devastating around the globe.

"At any one time, close to half of all people in developing countries are suffering from health problems caused by poor water and sanitation," he said. "Together unclean water and poor sanitation are the world’s second biggest killers of children."

Ban said that it is important to remember that although water has been established in some settings as a "right”, this does not mean that it is supposed to be free.

"Rather, it means that water and sanitation services should be affordable and available for all, and that states must do everything in their power to make this happen," he explained.

The current drought and resulting humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa, Ban noted, serves as a reminder of the importance of water to the very survival of human beings.

Source:  Online International News Network (http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=181899)

विशेषज्ञ नहुँदा सुत्केरीको मृत्यु

प्रकाश अधिकारी,

दैलेख- प्रसूति विशेषज्ञ नहुँदा सुत्केरी ब्यथा लाग्नुअगावै अस्पताल पुर्‍याइएकी महिलाको मंगलबार मृत्यु भएको छ ।

वडाखोला १ ताराचौरकी २६ वषर्ीय निरुपा थापाको समयमै उपचार अभावले अस्पतालमै निधन भएको हो । उनलाई परिवारले सुत्केरी व्यथा नलाग्दै शनिबार अस्पताल भर्ना गरेका थिए । अस्पतालका अनुसार थापाको अत्यधिक रक्तस्रावले

मृत्यु भएको हो ।

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Sanitation‚ drinking water a far cry

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU: The government, it seems, will fail to achieve the target of providing sanitation and drinking water access to all by 2017, if what it has achieved so far is anything to go by.The government has been able to declare only 203, out of total 3,915 VDCs, open-defecation-free zones till date. In two years, Nepal must upgrade the access of sanitation facilities by 10 per cent to achieve its three-year interim plan. At present, nearly 50 per cent of the total population have sanitation facilities whereas the interim plan has set the target to increase it up to 65 per cent.The country is marking the 12th National Sanitation Week from tomorrow with a slogan ‘Sanitation for Health, Dignity and Development’.

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दुर्घटनामा १६ जना घाईते

रत्ननगर (चितवन), जेष्ठ ९ -
रत्ननगर नगरपालिका ३ बेल्सीमा सोमबार विहान ट्रकले बसलाई ठक्कर दिंदा १६ जना यात्रु घाइते भएका छन् ।
घाइते मध्ये ४ जनाको अबस्था गम्भिर छ । बसमा यात्रा गर्ने अधिकांश भरतपुरतर्फ क्याम्पस जान लागेका बिद्यार्थी थिए । वीरगन्जबाट नारायणगढतर्फ जाँदै गरेको ना३ख ९३०६ नम्वरको ट्रकले ना३ख १९९६ नम्वरको बसलाई ठक्कर दिंदा बसका यात्रु घाइते भएका प्रहरीले जनाएको छ ।

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Silent sanitation crisis in South Asia

23rd May,2011
MUSTAFA TALPUR
Around 716 million people in South Asia, out of the 1.027 billion, practice open defecation and are exposed to severe safety and health risks as well as adding to environmental pollution.
Women and children bear the major burnt of this crisis. About 500,000 children die every year due to disease related to poor sanitation and hygiene, and many more fall seriously ill, compromising their future potential and overburdening the health services. In addition to death and disease burden, and its subsequent costs on the national economy, poor sanitation is polluting environment and compromising dignity-the very essence of human beings......

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“Knowledge and Practice on Preventive Measures of Diarrhea among dalit and non-dalit Mothers of Under five Children in Gorkha Municipality”- Kamala K.C

Diarrhea is a major public health problem in Nepal. In 2009, there was an epidemic of diarrheal diseases in different districts of mid and far western region of Nepal and most affected distrivts was jajarkot. In 2010, four persons have died and dozens fallen sick in an outbreak of diarrhea in Gumda and Kashigaun VDCs in the northern part of Gorkha district. The main objective of this study was to assessing the level of knowledge and practice on preventive measures of diarrhea among dalit and non-dalit mothers of under five children in Gorkha Municipality, Gorkha.A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted using primary data obtaining through interviewing semi-structured questionnaire and applying non-participatory observation.....

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