SHRI VENKAIAH NAIDU CALLS FOR A COLLECTIVE APPROACH TO TACKLE
HYGIENE PROBLEM
The
Rural Development Minister Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for
a collective approach to help solve the health and hygiene problem
in the country. He said, the approach should involve different
operative segments of the society - drawing the best from the
infrastructural capabilities of the government, the knowledge
and expertise of the aid agencies and NGOs and the efficiency
and marketing expertise of the private sector. This, he said,
should form the basis for a unique responsibility-oriented public-
private partnership. Shri Naidu was speaking after inaugurating
an international conference on Home Hygiene and the Prevention
of Infectious Disease in the Developing Countries here today.
Talking about the enormity of the
problem, the Minister said that over 6,00,000 people die of diarrhoeal
disease in the country every year. He said, although 98% of all
rural habitations have been covered under the Accelerated Rural
Water Supply Programme, the challenge is now of providing "safe"
drinking water. The Minister said, water needs to be safe from
harmful excess chemicals like arsenic and fluride, in addition
to the microbiological contamination.
Shri Naidu said, to widen the
coverage under sanitation, the Total Sanitation Campaign is proposed
to be extended to 250 districts this year. He said we need to
mobilise more resources and coordinate the efforts across different
funding agencies. Emphasising the importance of hygiene awareness,
he said, basic hygiene education for mother and father can have
a big impact.
Shri Naidu said, the Rural Development
Ministry is considering to initiate a project 'hand wash-with-soap'
programme. It will be first taken up in Kerala and then extended
to other parts of the country. The project is to be called 'Health-in-Your-Hands'.
Addressing the gathering the
Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. C.P. Thakur said,
the health administration should work with rural and urban authorities
to bring about behaviour changes with regard to hygiene. He said
primary health care authorities have a critical role in this area.
Dr. Thakur regretted that people have given up the traditional
methods of hygiene while half-heartedly adopting the western hygiene
methods. He said lack of water or the depletion of water levels
has aggravated the hygiene problem.
