health and nutrition because the lack of either opens the door to diseases such as diarrhoea, which is a greater burden for children under 15 than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. The world is currently on track to reach the MDG target on safe drinking water by 2015, but 1 billion people will likely miss the sanitation target. Many of those left behind will be among the rural poor, only 45 per cent of whom have improved sanitation, compared with 76 per cent of people in urban areas. In 2010, UNICEF was active in efforts to expand sanitation through its Community Approaches to Total Sanitation, now adopted in 49 countries. Under this approach, communities take the lead in eliminating open defecation, often through innovative practices most suited to local needs. The model has become a national standard in Ethiopia, the Niger and Timor-Leste, and in Eastern and Southern Africa 2.4 million people now live in communities free of open defecation. Community-led sanitation in Senegal has introduced services to 105 rural villages and has proven to be cost-effective; at about previous latrine projects.
Boys from a local school pledge to always practise good hygiene during the occasion of Global Handwashing Day 2010, Bangladesh.
In the Central African Republic, UNICEF supported the
nearly 900,000 people. Alternative methods of purifying
construction and rehabilitation of water and sanitation
water, such as biofilters and solar disinfection systems,
facilities. An additional 40,000 people in Bossangoa
have extended safe water supplies to families in impover-
Prefecture have now gained improved access to safe
ished rural areas.
$5 per person, the initiative’s cost is low compared with
drinking water, while in Lobaye Prefecture, four new water treatment units were set up to provide services to
Advocacy remains a tool in UNICEF’s global push to
18,000 refugees. Working with the Government and civil
overcome poor hygiene habits that are particularly dan-
society partners, UNICEF has launched the community-led
gerous where sanitation is inadequate. In Cambodia, after
sanitation approach in 11 villages.
UNICEF conveyed the importance of safe hygiene and sanitation, the Prime Minister’s office declared 13 November
Helping municipal governments improve the manage-
as the National Sanitation Day. It released a message on
ment of water and sanitation services has been the aim of
sanitation and hygiene that was broadcast nationwide.
UNICEF support in Bolivia (Plurinational State of) and in Honduras. In the former country, 86 communities now
Around the world, Global Handwashing Day partners,
contribute directly to a decentralized approach that pro-
including UNICEF, promoted the third annual celebra-
vides services locally. Twelve municipalities in Honduras
tion of the day on 15 October. Some 75 countries and
have developed water supply and sanitation service plans
200 million children, parents, teachers, celebrities and
in order to extend services, and 12 departments have im-
other citizens spread the message that one simple step can
plemented a national protocol of surveillance and water
keep everyone in better health.
quality control that will ensure safe drinking water for
CHAPTER 2: A HEALTHY FOUNDATION
17