Sanitation
is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact
with the hazards of wastes as well as the treatment and proper disposal of
sewage wastewater. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological
or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems include
human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic wastewater (sewage, sullage,
greywater), industrial wastes and agricultural wastes.
Hygienic means of
prevention can be by using engineering solutions (e.g. sewerage and wastewater
treatment), simple technologies (e.g. latrines, septic tanks), or even by
personal hygiene practices (e.g. simple handwashing with soap).
The World Health
Organization states that:
"Sanitation
generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe
disposal of human urine and feces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of
disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant
beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The word
'sanitation' also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through
services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal.[1]
The term
"sanitation" is applied to a wide range of subjects such as:
• Improved sanitation - refers to the
management of human faeces at the household level. This terminology is the
indicator used to describe the target of the Millennium Development Goal on
sanitation, by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and
Sanitation.
• On-site sanitation - the collection and
treatment of waste is done where it is deposited. Examples are the use of pit
latrines, septic tanks, and Imhoff tanks.
• Food sanitation - refers to the hygienic
measures for ensuring food safety.
• Environmental sanitation - the control of
environmental factors that form links in disease transmission. Subsets of this
category are solid waste management, water and wastewater treatment, industrial
waste treatment and noise and pollution control.
• Ecological sanitation - an approach that
tries to emulate nature through the recycling of nutrients and water from human
and animal wastes in a hygienically safe manner.
ENVIRONMENTAL
SANITATION AND HYGIENE DEVELOPMENT
About
2.4 billion people globally live under highly unsanitary conditions and have
such poor hygiene behaviours that their exposure to risks of incidence and
spread of infectious diseases, are enormous. Water stored at home is frequently
contaminated by inadequate water management in the home. These issues are
receiving increasing attention, but considering the huge backlog within the
sector there is still a need for greater mobilization of resources and
involvement of decision-makers at all levels.
WHO
has been at the forefront of environmental sanitation and hygiene action over
the past years and developed some key materials intended for policy-makers and
technical people dealing with these issues. These materials include guidelines,
best practice documents and promotion materials.
HEALTH IMPACTS
OF SANITATION
For
any social and economic development, adequate sanitation in conjunction with
good hygiene and safe water are essential to good health (Mara, Lane and Scott
and Trouba 1). Lack of proper sanitation causes diseases. Most of the diseases
resulting from sanitation have a direct relation to poverty. The lack of clean
water and poor sanitation has caused many diseases and the spread of diseases.
Sanitation is very important in order to keep good health.One of the most
significant diseases that arise from poor sanitation is diarrhea. Deaths
resulting from diarrhea are estimated to be between 1.6 and 2.5 million deaths
every year (Mara, Lane and Scott and Trouba 2). Most of the affected are young
children below the ages of five. Other diseases that are caused by poor
sanitation include schistosomiasis, trachoma, and soil transmitted
Helminthiases.
Poor
sanitation accounts for almost 50 percent of underweight child since it has a
direct link to diarrhea. Children suffering for diarrhea are more vulnerable to
become underweight. According to Mara, Lane, and Scott and Trouba (3), about 26
percent acute respiratory infections occur in children who are malnourished,
which has a direct link to diarrhea. Sanitation is a serious issue that is
affecting most parts of the world especially the developing countries. On a
global scale, the most affected are children who in most cases lose their lives
due to diseases caused by poor sanitation. Major initiatives need to be set up
if the MDG goal on sanitation is to be achieved by 2015.
Environmental
sanitation is a set of actions geared towards improving the quality of the
environment and reducing the amount of disease. By doing so, the hope is that
living conditions will improve and health problems will decrease. The management
of water, solid waste, and industrial waste, as well as the topic of pollution
and noise control, all fall under the umbrella of environmental sanitation.
WATER MANAGEMENT
The
water supply can directly impact pollution and the spread of disease. The most
common sources of water include groundwater and surface water; the main sources
of groundwater are usually wells and springs, while surface water comes from
fresh water sources like lakes and rivers. Both require treatment before being
consumed because various chemicals, particles, and biological contaminants,
like bacteria, can enter the water. Many
developed countries have water treatment plants where drinking water is cleaned
of dirt and particles, disinfected, and stored until needed. This water may be
run through pipes directly to homes and business. Other methods of treating
water include boiling it or treating it with chemicals to kill harmful
bacteria. In addition to other sources, water can become contaminated from
household trash and human waste. If waste is not disposed of properly, it can
mix with water in the ground or with surface water that might be collected for
drinking and cooking. When people drink tainted water, it can spread disease or
even cause new outbreaks.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
The
environmental conditions of a given area may be affected by waste management,
the process used to dispose of garbage. How waste is disposed of varies based
on living conditions and the accepted standard of living in a geographical
area. While some communities provide wastewater treatment and trash collection,
others do not, which reduces the ability to control the well-being of the
environment and its people. When waste is not removed and treated properly,
pollution may lead to the spread of disease; when proper disposal and treatment
methods are followed, disease and pollution can usually be reduced.
SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Every
day, people throw away a large amount of garbage, which is usually referred to
as solid waste. In many countries, some form of solid waste management system
has been put in place. Some common ways to dispose of the garbage include
incarceration, which is the burning of waste, or landfills, which are places to
store waste. In the United States and Europe, both of these methods are
commonly used to manage solid waste.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Environmental
sanitation is not limited to the pollution of water and the improper disposal
of household waste. When factories or businesses dispose of chemical and
physical waste in ways that directly affect the environment, it is often
referred to as industrial pollution. For example, while the actual dumping site
may occur several miles away from a main source of water, drainage and rainfall
can cause chemicals and physical waste to mix with the water supply and pollute
it. Some countries have developed a system to properly dispose of industrial
waste and help protect the environment; as with household waste, some of these
systems incorporate incarceration and landfills into their management
strategies.
AIR POLLUTION
AND NOISE CONTROL
Another
factor of a healthy environment is air pollution; many studies have shown the
negative effects of air pollution on the environment. Air pollution can also
affect a person's ability to breathe, which can potentially increase the number
of lung and heart problems in the members of a community. Irritating and
excessive noise in the environment can also cause anxiety attacks or lead to
distractions, among other things, which can lead to accidents and other
potentially hazardous situations.
Ways to Help
There
are a number of ways to help keep the environment clean and help improve
people's overall health status:
1. Individuals should avoid wasting water. They
can do this by taking shorter showers, not leaving the water running, and using
only what water is needed.
2. People should recycle as much as possible to
reduce waste. Many major cities offer recycling for plastic, paper, and glass
products.
3. Individuals can walk, ride a bike, or carpool
to reduce air pollution.
4. Each person can educate others on ways to
help improve the environment.
According
to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are four areas that must be reviewed
in order for environmental sanitation to be effective: planning, water supply,
sanitation, and hygiene education. The WHO offers guidelines for these steps on
their website to help implement environmental hygiene programs nationwide and
improve overall health.