INADEQUATE sanitation has been a thorn in the flesh for many governments, especially in developing countries, as it is a major cause of diseases world-wide. Improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities and this has led to many countries initiating projects aimed at promoting sanitation especially in rural areas.
Tanzania, like any other developing country is not an exception as in a bid to improve sanitation, unveiled the Household and Community Latrine Improvement Campaign, “Choo Bora Chawezekana, Maendeleo Hadi Chooni”, last week.
Launching the campaign, Elias Chinamo, the Assistant Director for Environmental Health, Hygiene and Sanitation in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said: “Improving rural sanitation, including use of quality toilets, could save thousands of lives every year, bringing about increases in productivity and economic development,” adding that it can further reduce diarrhea diseases, one of the leading causes of child mortality in Tanzania, by 36 per cent.
Diarrhea infections, according to him, claim about 30 per cent of neonatal deaths in Tanzania and are responsible for 12 per cent of illness in children of ages 0-15.
He also said that for every dollar spent on water and sanitation, $11 is gained by preventing losses in productive time, education, costs of medicines and health services.
Chinamo added that processes are at the final stage to prepare a policy on water and sanitation, which is spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and social Welfare, Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Governments and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.
Once in place, according to him, the policy will address all issues concerning sanitation including disposal of human waste and construction of quality toilets.
Emphasizing the importance of the campaign, Mr Jason Cardosi, the World Bank Country Director said: “Although Tanzania already has very high basic latrine coverage, estimated at 80 per cent, the quality of the facilities in terms of protecting health as well as general consumer satisfaction is low.”
He said that the issue of better sanitation was something not to ignore and that his organisation was highly concerned with how Tanzania is responding to various challenges geared towards achieving Millennium Development Goals.
The initiative, being implemented in 132 districts countrywide, focuses on increasing priority of sanitation within homes and communities with the aim of bettering latrine facilities that are used by all members of the family.
It also lets communities set sanitation targets and train suppliers to expand businesses to respond to consumer sanitation needs in terms of costs and quality and engages rural heads of households to improve their latrine facilities and also upgrade latrine management.
The campaign is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the World Bank, the Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP), UNICEF and other partners.
Source – http://www.thisday.co.tz/?l=10817
Sanitation Updates 
Iam environmental engineer based in Lushoto Tanga Tanzania. I comment the launch of the sanitation campagn Maendeleo mpaka chooni especially the promotion via TBC radio programme games and comedy shows. The message is sent and this encourages people for sanitatio option uptake thus creat work for us engineers.Well done !