Sanitary hygiene in developing cities and consequences in environmental health

Sanitary hygiene in developing cities and consequences in environmental health

Sanitary hygiene is the practice of maintaining cleanliness and preventing disease transmission through the proper use and disposal of human and animal excreta, wastewater, solid waste, and other sources of contamination. Sanitary hygiene is essential for the health and well-being of people living in developing cities, where access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services is often inadequate or unequal. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Safe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene are crucial to human health and well-being. Safe WASH is not only a prerequisite to health, but contributes to livelihoods, school attendance and dignity and helps to create resilient communities living in healthy environments” (“Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)”).

However, many developing cities face multiple challenges in providing sanitary hygiene for their growing populations, such as rapid urbanization, poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, and weak governance. These challenges result in serious consequences for environmental health, such as water pollution, soil contamination, disease outbreaks, malnutrition, stunting, reduced quality of life, and increased vulnerability to disasters. For example, the World Bank reports that “Improved sanitation leads to lower disease burden, improved nutrition, reduced stunting, improved quality of life, increased attendance of girls at school, healthier living environments, better environmental stewardship, increased job opportunities and wages, improved competitiveness of cities, and economic and social gains to society more broadly” (“Sanitation Overview”). Conversely, the lack of improved sanitation has the opposite effects on environmental health.

Therefore, it is imperative for developing cities to adopt a holistic and integrated approach to sanitary hygiene that addresses the social, economic, environmental, and institutional dimensions of the problem. Some of the possible strategies include: promoting behavior change and community participation; strengthening policies and regulations; improving infrastructure and service delivery; enhancing monitoring and evaluation; fostering innovation and partnerships; and mobilizing resources and investments. By implementing these strategies, developing cities can achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 6 of ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. Moreover, they can also contribute to other related goals such as reducing poverty and hunger, improving health and education, enhancing gender equality and social inclusion, protecting the environment and combating climate change, and building resilient and inclusive cities.

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“Sanitation Overview: Development news, research, data | World Bank.” World Bank Group. 6 Oct. 2022. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/sanitation. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.

“Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) – World Health Organization (WHO).” World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-wash. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.