Sanitation is an access to and use of excreta and toilet facilities and services that ensure privacy and dignity, ensuring a clean and healthy living environment for all. Improved sanitation is the hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact. The United Nation estimates that 2.5 billion people, 40% of the world's population, lack access to adequate sanitation.
Bhutan has achieved only 51% of rural population to improved sanitation despite its target to achieve 80% by 2015. Poor sanitation was witnessed comparatively higher in eastern Dzongkhags; Lhuentse has the poorest sanitation followed by Pemagatshel and Samdrupjongkhar. Without toilet and unsafe disposal of human faeces pose serious risk on health which associate 30% higher risk of having diarrhea on children under five. Diarrhoeal diseases were reported as second leading cause of child deaths in the world. Moreover, poor toilet is linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio that seriously affect the physical development and cognitive performance of children. Without a proper toilet creates vulnerability, particularly for women and young girls who experience a loss of dignity. They are exposed to abuse and harassment while defecating in the open space.
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| Traditional toilet with banana bark wall |
The study was carried out in Dungmaed Gewog, pemagatshel in 4 villages (Laniri, Bangyuel, Mekuri and Durungri) to assess sanitation and health of the population through construction of sanitary toilet. The study also aims to examine income level of households through actively engaging in economic activities. The study found that all the households (n = 42) used some kind of toilet. The majority of households 88.1% had improved flushable toilet, 2.4% had ventilated improved pit toilet and 9.5% had unimproved traditional pit toilet. There was no incidence of child mortality related to diarrhoeal diseases since the practice of open defecation was found completely stopped. The study also found positive correlation between annual households income (M = 670000.00 SD = ±463924.04) and health condition (M = 2.36, SD = ±.485), rs = -.486, p = .001, n = 42 as the family members could earn more income with good health condition.
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