Diarrhoea

This study published in the journal The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (AJTMH) aimed at assessing water contamination and the relative effectiveness of three options for point-of-use water treatment in South India. A 6-month randomized, controlled intervention trial was conducted using chlorine, Moringa oleifera seeds, a closed valved container, and controls. Read More

This article published in the Indian Journal of Public Health highlights the importance of sanitation as hygienic means of dealing with health of populations and presents the history and the definition of sanitation and highlights the sanitation situation in the context of India.  India stands second among the worst places in the world for sanitation after China. Millions of Indians currently lack access to adequate sanitation and are forced to dispose off their excreta in unimproved and unsanitary conditions. Those who suffer from lack of this basic need, also tend to be victims of poverty, ill health and an overall poor quality of life.Read More

This compendium by the Water and Sanitation Programme and the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India contains case studies of best practices in achieving total sanitation at the Gram Panchayat, block and district levels. These case studies are about the achievements and experiences of different situations, institutional models, community mobilisation approaches, supply chain management techniques, capacity building methods, convergence of various programmes, school sanitation, innovative approaches etc from different states and regions in the country.

After a decade of launching the Total Sanitation Campaign, India has seen significant successes in terms of the sanitation coverage, creating open defecation communities/GPs and solid and liquid waste management. Thousands of success stories have emerged across the country while still there are many challenges in making the entire rural India Nirmal and sustaining the changes achieved.Read More

This paper published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research describes the findings of a study conducted in Nelvoy village in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. The study attempted to understand the phenomenon of water contamination in the village by using GIS as a tool to locate and map water supply and sewage distribution systems in the village, in relation to human and animal dwellings, their wastes, sanitary practices and their connections with drinking water quality for a clearer understanding of the connections between these factors and possible solutions to the problem.

Safe water is one of the most important felt needs in public health in developing countries in the twenty first century. However, in India, as high as 72.7% of the rural populations still do not have access to safe water, nor any methods of water disinfection and 74% have no sanitary toilets. Studies have shown that a number of sociocultural practices including open air defecation, tethering of animals near human dwellings, proximity ot animal faecal matter have found to lead to water contamination resulting in outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases. Read More