Water, sanitation, hygiene promotion and health crisis and problems and possible measures/ options that may be taken

We have idea and understanding about the problems perspective related to water, sanitation, hygiene practices and health care. But to make the understanding more explicit, it has been  conducted number of  group meeting, focus group discussion, community sharing session on hygiene, water, sanitation and health through directly involving the community based different types of stakeholders including local government officials. During discussion with the stakeholders it has revealed that the people are not aware enough about the health, sanitation, safe water use and hygiene practices. The people of the coastal belt areas lack of access to health services, safe water crisis, unsanitary latrines and unhygienic behavior like open defecation remain very prevalence at the community and house level, schools and disaster shelters, which trend the community to severe health hazards and problems with water borne diseases. Again, among the total death, 24% are generally happen as a result of waterborne diseases. Further, they lack primary health care services in normal and emergency period. It is worth to add that in coastal belt areas during disaster / emergencies when people take shelter in the disaster shelters or schools, they face severe safe water crisis and excreta disposal related problems and get sick with diarrhea and other different types of diseases. Therefore, rationally both normal situation and disaster situation should equally be considered as the proposed coastal belt areas are extremely disaster prone and people are extremely climate and disaster vulnerable.

The achievement of sanitation coverage is not uniform and equal throughout the country. The status is different in different areas considering the location. Difficult areas such as cyclone and disaster prone coastal areas where sanitation coverage is not up to the mark and it below than other parts of the country due to damage during disaster and lack community awareness on sanitation and hygiene issues. 

So, the measures need to be taken that would change health and hygiene practices among all level people in the coastal belt areas considering gender and climate vulnerability and  ensure health facilities, sanitation for all considering CLTS approach and safe water for use in all domestic matters.

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