Nepal focuses on management of Wash projects to tackle child diarrhoea

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Nepal focuses on management of Wash projects to tackle child diarrhoea

Insufficient, fragmented and misdirected investment in the water andsanitationsector has hindered the fight against diarrhoea, leaving it one ofNepal's leading child killers despite hundreds of millions of dollars having been invested, say practitioners.

While health programming has helped reduce the severity and fatality of diarrhoea among children below the age of five, the percentage of children affected by it in Nepal has not budged in almost a decade, remaining at a stubbornly high 14%.

In order to achieve its targets of universal toilet coverage by 2017, and basic water and sanitation services for all, Nepal will need to double its current annual investment in the sector from $43m (£26.4m) to $85m, concluded the 2011 assessment.

The issue, however, is not only about money, there is also a need for more "rational" spending, said Nanda Bahadur Khanal, senior divisional engineer at the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD).

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2 Comments

  1. Sanitation sector in whole south Asia is facing the same situation. Govt are designing reports on benefits of universal toilet coverage without focusing on their effective implementation. There is need to launch mobilization campaigns which motivate community to avoid open defecation and use toilets and also city administrators ensure that people are provided with standard toilet structures according to their family needs.

  2. Dear All, I don't consider myself competent enough to comment on the report, because the situation in our state is also not that impressive one. However, one striking thing and also it is quite encouraging that the Sanitation Master Plan is already launched in 2011 with a target for universal toilet coverage by 2017. The next SACOSAN-V , which is being organised in Nepal, may also provide the expected thrust from the discussion on the experiences of other South Asian Countries in the Sanitation Sector. Moreover, apart from the universal toilet coverage, the other important issues are the regular toilet usage and the Hygiene Practices among the communities. Anyway, my best wishes to all stakeholders for their initiatives in this sector. Thanking you. Regards. Nripendra Kumar Sarma Guwahati, Assam, India