The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently said that about 3 lakh deaths owing to diarrheal deaths could be prevented if the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was executed fully.
“India’s accelerated coverage of safe sanitation services, and its determination to end open defecation, will have a substantial effect on the burden of diarrheal disease and PEM by reducing mortality and accumulative Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)—the sum of the years of life lost due to premature mortality and years lost due to disability or ill-health,” the study stated.
As per the calculations of the study, if all sanitation services are used, the initiative could expand possibilities and thereby resulting in 14 million more years of healthy life in the period estimated, with the advantages following yearly thereafter.
Speaking at a workshop, Secretary of Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry, Parameshwaran Iyer added, “I congratulate my team in their efforts to make swachhta everybody’s business,” he said. “The estimations apply to the health impacts from improvements in sanitation coverage only, meaning it is possible that the broader mission has produced additional health gains through changes in personal hygiene and the consumption of safe drinking water,” the report said.
PM Modi who stumbled upon this, praised WHO for their study. Modi then took to his official Twitter handle to say some few words about this. His caption read, “Swachh Bharat Mission will save lakhs of lives and result in over 14 million more years of healthy living…fascinating observations by the @WHO study on India’s strides in cleanliness and sanitation”
Swachh Bharat Mission will save lakhs of lives and result in over 14 million more years of healthy living…fascinating observations by the @WHO study on India’s strides in cleanliness and sanitation. https://t.co/Uv3lWMcRpY
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 4, 2018
