WASH & Health
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was a country-wide campaign from 2014 to 2019, to eliminate open defecation and enhance solid waste management (SWM) in urban and rural areas in India. The objectives of the mission are eradication of manual scavenging, generating awareness and bringing about a behaviour regarding sanitation practices and augmentation of capacity at local level. Communities, Institutions are the major focus of this plan. CYDA has initiated a campaign to improve WASH in Schools with UNICEF and INGOs like NSE Foundation, WaterAid, Plan International, Save the Children International and Persistent Foundation.
WASH in Schools
Post Covid-19, it has become even more imperative for schools to maintain hygiene and sanitation and follow all precautions to ensure overall health and well-being of the students. Children who cannot wash their hands, face a greater risk of infection and diarrhea diseases than those who can, putting them at risk of missing more school days.
The education of the girls is affecting to a greater extent due to lack of proper sanitation facilities in schools. A recent survey reported that 23 percent of girl students drop out from the school in India on reaching puberty due to a lack of proper WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities. Many girls skip school during their menstrual period. And also showed that a quarter of all girls in school in India took time off when menstruating because of inadequate gender-specific toilets and non-availability of sanitary absorbents in schools.
CYDA has worked with 15000 Zilla Parishad schools in (07) districts of Pune, Gadchiroli, Washim, Osmanabad, Nandurbar, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Nashik and Satara in Maharashtra to provide technical support on WASH components to the education departments of the respective districts.
It was CYDA, implemented the project WASH in Schools in 30 schools across Pune and Nasik. The said number of schools was holding an enrollment capacity of more than 12000 students benefitted with the activities like toilets, hand washing stations and safe water in the schools. In addition, the knowledge of school staff and children will be enhanced to use these facilities, their maintenance and health education.
WASH in Ashramshalas
Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya campaign was the inspiring factor launched by CYDA through the project, WASH in Ashramshalas across the districts (Ahmednagar and Nandurbar) of Maharashtra. The project ensured that the children in these schools have access to basic residential facility, food, uniform, bedding, books and other educational materials which were provided free of cost.
On the other hand, Ashramshalas should have basic infrastructure facilities required for clean drinking water, sanitation facilities such as functional school toilets, safe drinking water, clean surroundings and basic information and adaptation of critical hygiene practices including Menstrual Hygiene Management, to ensure proper health care and strengthening institutional to ensure operations and maintenance and continuous development. CYDA has supported 52 Ashramshalas in Maharashtra.
WASH in Communities
CYDA takes a comprehensive approach to implement Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program in communities by coupling infrastructure development, community mobilization, private sector engagement and behaviour change communications to enhance sanitation and hygiene practices in 114 villages of Navapur block at Nandurbar district (One of the Aspirational Districts identified by Central Govt. of India) from past 3 years. CYDA works closely with local governments and communities to address the full life-cycle costs and risks associated with water and sanitation investments and water quality monitoring. Strong local partnerships ensure the long-term sustainability of solutions that are equitable, environmentally sound and well-suited to the specific needs of each community.
The main objective of program is to ensure 100% ODF block by mobilizing government resources for 100% Individual Household Latrine (IHHL) construction and developing mechanisms for ensuring usage. Nandurbar district has high density of tribal population and the literacy rate is lower than state average. The district reports mostly 50% to 60% is ODF on ground. This requires special attention in terms of behaviour change and retrofitting of toilets because many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.
WASH in Health Facilities
Due to the lack of access to water and sanitation, women are further discouraged from institutional delivery or they delay health-seeking advice. In India, only 19.2 per cent of labour rooms and 3.2 per cent of post-natal care wards across 3 tiers of health facilities have functional toilets. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report (2022) highlights that,
“WASH in Health Facilities” states to the provision of water, sanitation, hygiene, bio medical waste, waste management, hygiene and environmental cleaning infrastructure and services in all health facilities – health care centres at primary level, district level, state level and national level. Mostly, it is was witnessed that, as per the guidelines of WHO, health facilities and maternity homes, lack in WASH services.
CYDA is being implementing WASH in health facilities for the last 3 years in Pune and Navapur block of Nandurbar district. The main objective of this program was to support the government to ensure the development of WASH compliant health centres. Additionally, the program also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages) and SDG 6 (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) and works towards ensuring safe management of water and sanitation for reducing maternal mortality, end preventable neonatal deaths and provide quality universal health coverage.
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