Canada: Talking Toilet Taking to the Streets

This will likely draw some attention in downtown St.John’s today. There will be a walking and talking toilet on Water Street between 11am and 1pm. Local Oxfam spokesperson Daniel Miller says it’s all about raising awareness of sanitation issues.  (…)

Read all NewCap Radio

Nepal: unsafe drinking water and sanitation in jails

The National Human Rights Commission Regional Office Banke has demanded an explanation from the chief district officer and jail administration on the issue of the 85 prisoners in Bardiya jail who are compelled to drink arsenic contaminated water. The Commission asked why no alternative source of drinking water was found for the prisoners despite the fact that 60 ppb (parts per billion) of arsenic [water with more than 50 ppb is unfit for drinking] was detected in all five tube wells installed for them.

Nepal Water Supply Corporation and Nepal Red Cross Society Bardiya Chapter tested water of the tube wells in Bardiya jail recently. They have urged the prisoners not to drink contaminated water of the tube wells. But, the jail administration stated that it is incapable to manage alternative source of water in the jail

Source: Naya Patrika / NGO Forum, 11 Aug 2008 ; Naya Patrika / NGO Forum, 29 Jul 2008

Prisoners, as well as prison officials, in Khandbari prison, Sankhuwasabha, have been suffering from diarrhoea and dysentery for a week due to the lack of safe drinking water and proper sanitation. management of waste within the jail.

Source: NGO Forum, 15 Aug 2008

Prisoners in Kanchanpur prison are luckier. They now have access to safe drinking water after the International Red Crross constructed a 5,000 litre-tank water tank in the prison.

Source: Gorkhapatra / NGO Forum, 14 Aug 2008

Nepal: Government prepares for possible diarrhoea epidemic

Health workers at Nepal’s Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) in the Department of Health Services (DHS), are making preparations to control a diarrhoea outbreak, which occurs during the annual monsoon season between July and September in rural areas.

Rapid Response Teams (RRT) have been formed at the central, regional and district level and more than 50 emergency health kits, provided by WHO, have been placed in strategic locations.

[...]

A 12-hour hotline has also been established at the EDCD to provide emergency response if the health offices at the district level are unable to cope. If needed, the hotline will be turned into a 24-hour service.

[...]

Although only 13 dead were recorded in hospitals over the past 23 weeks, the death rate could be much higher as access to health services in the most remote areas is very limited. In 2007, there were about 33,746 reported cases of diarrhoea, with 250 deaths. [...]. In the first six months of 2008, the EDCD reported 7,532 cases of diarrhoea.

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Although diarrhoea is prevalent throughout the year due to poor hygiene practices, unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation, the situation is particularly bad during the annual monsoon period when floods and landslides damage water systems and contaminate drinking water.

[...]

A two-day orientation programme on”Communication on Outbreaks for Journalists” was held in Biratnagar, Birgunj, Pokhara and Bhaktapur.

UNICEF has also given a commitment for an additional stock of medicine and water purification chemicals to the EDCD.

Source: IRIN, 22 Jul 2008 ; The Rising Nepal / NGO Forum, 22 Jul 2008

Benin: recurrent cholera still not a priority

At least 50 cholera cases have been recorded in Benin’s capital Cotonou since 24 July, according to local hospital officials.

These cases have been reported in the capital’s eastern districts of Enagnon, Dedokpo, and Segbeya, neighbourhoods that lack clean drinking water, waste disposal services, and indoor plumbing.

[...]

The Benin government has renewed an education campaign on sanitation and what to do at the first signs of cholera infection.

Dr. Paul Yada, an epidemic specialist at the African regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO), said [...] countries’ responses to cholera outbreaks tend to be fast, but that follow up is poor.

“After an epidemic, people stop these education campaigns. The problem is, you cannot change someone’s behaviours in one week. You cannot stop teaching about sanitation just because the rains stop. This needs to go on year round. “

[...]

Last year, toward the end of Africa’s rainy season, ministers of health from across the continent signed an agreement to develop comprehensive action plans to fight cholera.

Yada says none have been submitted to WHO’s regional office in Congo Brazzaville for funding.

Read more: IRIN, 13 August 2008

UK: Boris Johnson calls on London businesses to open their toilets to the public

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson today, August 12th, called on businesses across London to open their toilets to the public to help ease the problems caused by the lack of public lavatories. The Mayor wants every London borough to sign up to the Community Toilet Scheme, which provides businesses with small grants to open their toilet facilities to the public. The scheme is already running successfully in several boroughs. (…)

Read all Media Newswire Press Release

The Community Toilet Scheme was started by Richmond Council in 2005.  You can find out more at http://www.richmond.gov.uk/community_toilet_scheme including a full list of participating businesses.

Figures in this release are from a London Assembly report – “An Urgent Need”. The report can be found at http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/health/public-toilets.pdf

Israel: Cholera prevention program developed by Hebrew U. students adopted by International Red Cross

13 Aug 2008

A cholera prevention program developed by students of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School’s International Masters in Public Health Program has been adopted by the Red Cross in Kenya, and is currently under consideration by the Kenyan Ministry of Public Health & Sanitation.

Read all Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Press release

Ghana: Media urged to alert public on deteriorating sanitation situation

The media have been urged to draw the public’s attention to the deteriorating sanitation situation in the country. (…) 

The Health Officer, who was addressing the media on the sanitation situation in the country in Koforidua on Wednesday, said the role of journalists was crucial in drawing people’s attention to sanitation issues and called for collective effort in tackling the problem. (…)

Read all ModernGhana.com

Tanzania: Osunyai school striving for better hygiene

Hygiene education is part of the curriculum at Osunyai Primary school some 6 kilometres from Arusha in northern Tanzania. However, the poor sanitation conditions prevent pupils and teachers from maintaining the minimum level of hygiene.

The school has 2426 pupils (1175 boys and 1251 girls) and 44 teachers. There are only 8 latrines for 1175 boys and the same for the girls. All the teachers share 2 latrines.

[...]

In the near future Community Based Health Care Council (CBHC), a non-governmental organization from Tanzania, together with donors will put up 12 additional latrines with hand washing facilities to improve the current latrines.

This video is created by Africa Interactive in cooperation with Simavi and Akvo.org.

Source: Anwary Kinda Msechu, AfricaNews, 23 July 2008

India: Deliberations on “Urban Sanitation” in state of Maharashtra

The “Consultation Meet on Strategies of Urban Sanitation” Maharashtra, was organized by WSSD-GoM (Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Government of Maharashtra) in Mumbai on 10th July 2008. The 18 participants included Chief Officers of Municipal Councils, experts in the sanitation sector, Environment officers, Section Engineers and Water and Sanitation Programme-South Asia (WSP-SA) team.

Presentations included:

• “Introduction to State Urban Strategy” by Shri A. K. Jain, Principal Secretary, WSSD-GoM
• “Introduction to City-wide Sanitation Planning Concept” Shri Somnath Sen, Consultant, WSP-SA
• “Background of State Urban Sanitation” by Sri J. V. R. Murthy, WSP-SA
• “National Perspective” by Shri N. Bhattacharjee, India Country Team Leader, WSP-SA

The objective of this Meet was to [...] to develop a comprehensive State Urban Sanitation Policy and also city-level planning processes and modules. The resultant Draft Policy Document is scheduled to be submitted in November 2008 for Cabinet approval.

Read more: Bindu Bubber, BORDA, 12 Aug 2008

India, Maharashtra: community-managed toilet complexes opened in Kolhapur

The operationalisation and functioning of community toilet complexes at Rajendra Nagar and Salokhe Park, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, commenced on 15th June 2008. These community toilet complexes are managed by “Community Sanitation Committees (CSCs)” formed in both communities. The CSCs thus not only manages the maintenance of the complex but also ensures cleanliness of the complex and user satisfaction.

The CSC has provided “Photo passes” as identification for the user households. [..] The user group of about 150-200 households presently uses the community toilet complex. There are separate child-friendly toilet seats at Rajendra Nagar.

[...] The CSC also manages the Decentralised Solid Waste Management process and composting of biodegradable waste. [...] The CSC is trying to link the selling of their compost to the Garden Department of Kolhapur Corporation.. Systematic packaging is taken care of by the CSC.

Read more: Shilpa Mirashi, BORDA, 15 Jul 2008