August 3, 2015 
In This Issue
Highlights

On August 11, WASH Advocates, Global Water Challenge, IRC, and Aquaconsult will host the third and final webinar in the 3-part webinar series outlining the ways to turn your data into action.  The webinar will feature presentations by Brian Banks from Global Water Challenge, Ivan Birungi from the Ministry of Water and Environment in Uganda, and Nompumelelo Ntshalinthsali from the Department of Water Affairs in Swaziland. For more information or to register for the webinar, please click here. To see past webinars in the series, webinar page on sustainableWASH.org  

Sign the GPPPHW Petition Calling for Hygiene in the SDGs
 

Handwashing with soap is one of the most important interventions for human health and development.  While hygiene is included with sanitation in Target 6.2 of the current draft of the Sustainable Development Goals, hygiene is neglected at the indicator level. You can join over 90 international corporations, non-governmental organizations, and coalitions asking the UN Statistical Commission and key Member States to include an indicator for hygiene. To sign the petition asking the UN to ensure that hygiene is fully included in the goals and targets and measured as a mandatory global indicator, please visit the GPPPHW website.

Water for People Welcomes Their New CEO
 

Eleanor Allen brings over 20 years of experience in the water and engineering sector, most recently as the Global Director of Water for ARCADIS, where she managed a global water business and team across 7 regions including Latin America and India. She previously spent 16 years in various positions at CH2M, including managing Latin America Water, which included water and waste water projects in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.   Eleanor began her career in the water and sanitation sector as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic.  She earned her MS in environmental engineering from UC Berkeley and a BS in civil engineering and environmental studies from Tufts University.  Please join WASH Advocates in congratulating Eleanor on her new appointment. For more information, please visit Water for People's announcement here

Newborn Survival Map
 

In partnership with the MDG Health Alliance and Johnson & Johnson, FHI 360 is developing a new online map that aims to capture large programs ($500,000 and above) across 14 different sectors that greatly impact newborn survival. The map will initially focus on Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, China, DRC, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda, where the majority of newborn deaths are concentrated.  If your organization has a project that meets these criteria, please register the project at the Newborn Survival Map site.

USAID Seeks Technologies and Approaches to Improve Water Security 

 

USAID's Middle East Bureau is launching the  Middle East Water Security Initiative (MWSI) to improve sustainable, long-term access to water for millions of people living in the region.  MWSI will target Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, West Bank/Gaza, and Morocco, and sharing best practices and lessons learned among the five participating geographic areas.

 

Through this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), MWSI will support transformational approaches to water-related challenges that promote local solutions and include citizen-focused education and engagement. The BAA targets water capture, storage, and groundwater management; improving water use efficiency and reducing losses in non-revenue water; and water productivity. Public, private, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations, as well as institutions of higher education, public international organizations, non-governmental organizations, U.S. and non-U.S. governmental organizations, multilateral and international donor organizations are ALL eligible under this BAA!  Click here for the full announcement.

Reports

Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 663 Million Still Lack Improved Water Source and 2.4 Billion still Without Improved Sanitation Facilities

 

UNICEF and the WHO published the 2015 Joint Monitoring Programme Update, a report highlighting the progress made and challenges that remain in achieving the Millennium Development Goals related to water and sanitation. The report provides an overview of progress against the targets for water and sanitation and compares progress across regions. UNICEF and the WHO highlight equality gaps in access to water and sanitation between urban and rural dwellers and the rich and poor. The report also analyzes how monitoring mechanisms for water, sanitation, and hygiene have evolved since 1990. To read the full report, please visit the JMP website.

Financing for Development Conference
 

The Financing for Development (FfD3) Conference took place in Addis Ababa from July 13 through July 16. The Conference discussed financing mechanisms that can most effectively deliver social protection and public services for all, including health, education, energy, and water and sanitation. FfD3 called for the establishment of a global infrastructure forum led by multilateral and national development banks to coordinate investment in sustainable infrastructure that provides communities with transportation, energy, and water and sanitation. The Conference underlined the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in building the capacity of developing countries and local communities to participate in decision-making processes on issues like improving drinking water and sanitation management.  For more information about the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the CSO FfD Forum Declaration, or International Business Forum Summary, please visit the Financing for Development website.

Safeguarding the World's Water: USAID Report of Water Sector Activities


The Safeguarding the World's Water report documents USAID's water sector activities that address key global challenges. The report shares progress USAID made during the first year of implementing its Water and Development Strategy. The Strategy commits to concentrating USAID's water programs around two strategic objectives, water for health and water for food, across priority countries. For the full text of the report, please visit USAID's website


 

Upcoming Events and Conferences
5th International Dry Toilet Conference


The Global Toilet Association of Finland organized an International Dry Toilet Conference at the Tampere University of Applied Sciences from August 19-22, 2015. The conference will center on solutions.  The purpose of the conference is to allow participants to network and share their ideas on dry toilet technology and ecological sanitation including the future of this subsector.  For more information, please see the Global Dry         Toilet Association of Finland's website
here

2015 World Water Week in Stockholm
 

World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual meeting place for WASH and other development professionals to talk about global water issues.  Experts, practitioners, decision-makers, business innovators, and young professionals from a range of sectors will come to Stockholm and exchange ideas, foster new thinking, and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today.  This year's meeting is from August 23 - 28 and the theme is "Water for Development."  If you are interested in meeting with WASH Advocates' staff to discuss WASH advocacy, please email info@washadvocates.org to set up a time to meet while in Stockholm.  To see WASH Advocates' recommended sessions, click here.   For more information about the week, please visit the SIWI website here.  

University of Oklahoma International WaTER Conference


The 4th Biennial University of Oklahoma International WaTER Conference and International Water Prize Award Ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 21-23, 2015 in Norman, Okla., USA.  Full two days of meetings and presentations (Sept. 21-22) are followed by optional workshops on Sept. 23.  The University of Oklahoma WaTER Center aims to promote peace by advancing health, education and economic development through sustainable water and sanitation solutions for impoverished regions.  More information can be found here

2015 Global Citizen Festival
 

The Global Citizen Festival will take place on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The Festival will coincide with the launch of the United Nations' new Global Goals designed to fight inequality, protect the planet, and end extreme poverty by 2030. The Festival will provide a space for global citizens to lend their voices to achieve policy and financial commitments on issues including water and sanitation, food and hunger, education, health, and women's rights. For more information, please visit Global Citizens website.

October 15 is Global Handwashing Day
 

October 15 is Global Handwashing Day, a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent disease and save lives. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about the benefits of handwashing with soap, to foster a global culture of handwashing with soap, and inform others about the state of handwashing around the world. For more information and to learn about ways to get involved, please visit the Global Handwashing Day website. 

The Water Institute at UNC Annual Conference
 

The 2015 Water and Health Conference: Where Science Meets Policy, organized by The Water Institute at UNC, links drinking water supply, sanitation, hygiene and water resources in both the developing and developed worlds with a strong public health emphasis.  This year's conference will be held from October 26 - 30 and will focus on WASH and the SDGs, hygiene and behavior, WASH in emergencies and outbreaks, water supply and quality, and sanitation.  Information about the conference and registration can be found here

Jobs

Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing (GPPPHW)

 

Secretariat Director

 

FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. FHI 360 is currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of Secretariat Director, Global Private Partnership for Handwashing (PPPHW). PPPHW is a global partnership that promotes handwashing as a public health intervention to reduce illness and death, especially in children under 5.

 

The Secretariat Director will provide programmatic management and financial oversight of the PPPHW, manage the PPPHW budget, represent the PPPHW at international conferences and events, engage new partners and funders, lead planning for Global Handwashing Day, and advocate for handwashing with key public and private stakeholders. The position is located in Washington, DC. The ability to operate in other languages, particularly French, is highly desirable. For more information, please visit the FHI 360 website.

 

Communications Intern

 

The Communications Intern will provide support to the PPPHW Acting Secretariat Director in the areas of external communications, global advocacy day event strategic planning, and website management. The intern will write and edit blog posts, update the website, and assist with coordinating efforts around Global Handwashing Day.

 

The position requires prior communications work experience, experience managing social media accounts, and knowledge of Microsoft Office and Wordpress. A candidate familiar with global health and/or water, sanitation, and hygiene issues is preferred. For more information, please visit the FHI 360 website.

 

Millennium Water Alliance

 

WASH Program Officer

 

The WASH Program Officer will work in close collaboration with members of the domestic and field-based Programs Team to manage MWA's multi-NGO global WASH programs. The Program Officer will represent MWA at sector events in Washington, DC; support MWA's Regional Program Directors with proposal development; support MWA's M&E Specialist in executing the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Framework; and translate MWA program experience into case studies, research, and presentations.

 

Applicants are required to be proficient in using Excel for data analysis, budget preparation, and creating workflow spreadsheets. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate proficiency in GIS systems, website design, and advanced presentation software. The position requires applicants to be able to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally and to work long and irregular hours. For more information, please visit the MWA website.

 

East Africa Regional Director

 

The East Africa Regional Director (EARD) will report to the Executive Director and act as a senior member of the Program Team. The EARD will provide program support over MWA's East Africa Country Programs; ensure program quality and impact; design knowledge sharing and management information systems; actively represent MWA and participate in sector conferences and forums; and lead the development and strategic expansion of MWA's programming in East Arica.

 

This full-time permanent position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya with some international travel required to Ethiopia and other countries in East Africa. A local candidate is preferred. For more information, please visit the MWA website.

 

El Porvenir

 

Director of US Operations

 

El Porvenir is an international non-profit working to improve the standard of living of rural Nicaraguans through water, sanitation, health, education, and watershed management projects for 25 years. The Director of US Operations will report to the Executive Director in Nicaragua, coordinate the US office and communications, and raise funds for programming and operations.

 

The Director of US Operations will carry out a fundraising plan for a $1.2M organizational budget. Candidates must have 5 years of fundraising experience for non-profits with budgets of at least $500,000 and must be willing to travel up to 10% of the time within the US to maintain relationships with existing donors and engage new supporters. The position is based in the Denver office. For more information, please visit El Porvenir's website.

 

UNICEF Papua New Guinea

 

WASH in Schools Consultant

 

UNICEF Papua New Guinea is looking for an international consultant to develop a training manual and to train teachers and other stakeholders in the promotion of key hygiene behaviors among school children. The consultant must develop training materials that promote handwashing with soap, use of safe drinking water, cleaning of toilets, and managing menstrual hygiene. The consultant must also develop hygiene standards to facilitate monitoring and rating of schools based on the Three Star Approach to WASH in Schools.

 

The deadline to submit a CV, examples of prior work, a Work Methodology and Work Plan, and consultancy fees is August 5, 2015. Materials should be submitted to Rhonda Glaimi at rglaimi@unicef.org and cc'ed to Thomas Mabaso at tmabaso@unicef.org.

 

Splash

 

Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, India

 

Splash is an international charitable organization headquartered in Seattle, WA. Splash provides clean water to kids in orphanages, street shelters, rescue homes, schools, and children's hospitals in 7 countries. Since 2007, Splash has brought clean drinking water to 300,000 children in cities around the world. The Monitoring and Evaluation Manager will work closely with the Headquarters M&E Manager on program development, implementation, and adjustment of the existing M&E program.

 

The position is based primarily in Kolkata with travel to Dhaka and Kathmandu to support M&E implementation in country programs. Fluency in English is required and fluency in Bengali is strongly preferred. Fluency in Nepali is a plus. For more information, please visit Splash's website.

 

UNC Water Institute

 

Director of Knowledge Management and Communications

 

The Water Institute at UNC is seeking a Director of Knowledge Management and

Communications to lead one of several organizational units within the Institute.  The Director will interact with faculty, staff, and students within the university and Water Institute stakeholders. The Director will be responsible for planning and implementing a comprehensive knowledge management and communications strategy to ensure activities, results, and resources have policy impact and are widely disseminated.

 

The position requires 10 years of combined knowledge management and communications experience. For more information, please visit the UNC Human Resources website.

 

Director for Research

 

The Water Institute at UNC is recruiting an Open Rank Research Professor to serve as Director of Research. The position will work with the Director of the Institute Dr. Jamie Bartram, Associate Directors Dr. Pete Kolsky and Marissa Streyle, and other staff to oversee the implementation of the Institute's research efforts. The Director for Research will conduct and guide research in their area of expertise, teach and mentor students, and guide post-doctoral researchers in methods and applications within their domain of expertise.

 

The position requires a doctoral degree in public or environmental health and a minimum of five years of post-doctoral experience. For more information, please visit the UNC Human Resources website .
WASH in the News

07/30/15 Sanitation crisis causes girls to dropout of School


Rasheda K. Chowdhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), blamed lack of toilets at schools as one of the major causes that leads adolescent girls to drop out from their schools. Planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said ensuring sanitation in schools needs special attention. "It is mandatory to set up toilets in every school," he added. (Prothom Alo)

 

07/30/15 Pakistan among 77 countries with achieved water, sanitation targets


The recently launched global report by the World Health Organisation and the UN children's fund (UNICEF) joint monitoring programme 2015 mentioned that Pakistan is among the 95 countries that have met target for sanitation. According to the report, 64% of the population has now access to sanitation compared to 24% in 1990. Pakistan is also placed among just 77 countries which have met both the drinking water and the sanitation MDG targets. The number of people defecting in the open has been reduced from 46 to 25 million during the last decade. Pakistan is ranked 5th among those 16 countries which have reduced the open defection by at least by 25%.  (Daily Times)
 

7/28/15 How This NGO is teaching Girls Taboo Subjects


Femme International is a Canadian NGO that promotes women's health through education, with a focus on menstrual health and hygiene. Menstruation is a major reason why girls in developing communities miss school or drop out together due to a lack of sanitary resources and the oppressive stigma that surrounds the topic. (Huffington Post Canada)


07/26/15
Sulabh plans sanitary napkin unit in state

 

Sulabh International will establish a sanitary napkin factory in Odisha to improve personal hygiene among adolescent girls. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh Sanitation Movement, indicated that Sulabh will continue to work to create awareness among children on sanitation and hygiene and will involve the government in their project that aims to promote menstrual hygiene among girls in the state. Sulabh has already formed sanitation clubs in more than 22 schools, creating awareness on issues like sanitation and hygiene among youth.  (The Times of India) 

 
07/25/15 Villanova group tackles Madagascar's water issues


A team of Villanova University students are spending part of the summer in Madagascar with Catholic Relief Services working to improve sanitation and drinking water facilities. During the school year, engineering students designed clean water and sanitation projects and trained local workers how to use water-monitoring equipment. During the summer, students will analyze existing water supply systems and will develop mechanisms to reduce system failure.  (The Inquirer)

 

07/23/15 Innovative New Mobile Phone Service Offers Hope for Beating Water and Sanitation Crisis


WaterAid announced a new partnership with The People's Operator (TPO) that will give customers the choice of directing 10% of their monthly mobile stipend to nonprofits at no extra cost. Mark Epstein, TPO's CEO, noted that TPO subscribers can transform lives by selecting WaterAid and making clean water and toilets a reality for people around the world.  (Benzinga)

 

07/23/15 In Yemen's grinding war, if the bombs don't get you, the water shortages will

For months, citizens of this war-torn country have been terrorized by bomb explosions and mortar attacks. Now another threat is growing, which could be just as deadly. Yemenis are running out of water. This poor Arabian Peninsula country has faced a severe scarcity of water for decades. But four months of fighting have dramatically worsened the situation, with attacks destroying water pipes, storage tanks and pumping facilities in a number of cities.  (The Washington Post)

 

07/23/15 MP takes a walk down Victorian street to learn about great stink
 

MP David Warburton experienced the great stink 150 years on - thanks to international charity WaterAid. It had built a Victorian street so that people could understand what life was like when sewage ran along British roads and choked the rivers. Britain's first life-saving sewerage system was created following the great stink, when the stench of the polluted Thames was unbearable. The opening of the first modern sewage pumping station 150 years ago, designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, helped prevent cholera outbreaks in London.  (Frome Standard)

7/21/2015 How Do We Get Businesses Working Towards the Sustainable Development Goals?

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon kicked off last week's Addis Ababa conference on Financing for Development. It was the first of a series of major events that could make 2015 a turning point in sustainable development, the next two being the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in New York in September, and the Paris conference on climate change in December.  (Huffington Post)

 

7/21/2015 Iraq: Funding shortage forces UN to shutter critical water and sanitation responses
 

With more than 74,000 new people displaced by fighting on the move in Iraq, the United Nations humanitarian wing has warned that overall, some 40 per cent of critically needed life-saving water and sanitation programs will be forced to shut down by the end of the month due to lack of funding.  (New Kerala)

 

07/21/15 Lessons in global health: let poor countries run their own programmes
 

Endemic countries are demonstrating strong ownership and leadership, in variable financial, political and environmental circumstances, to ensure their NTD programs are successful in meeting 2020 targets. Countries are achieving elimination goals, more people are being reached, and the drug donation program for NTDs, the largest public health drug donation program in the world, continues to grow." Other countries are joining Malawi to take charge of their public health initiatives. Bangladesh, the Philippines and India are now financing 85%, 94% and 100% of their NTD programs respectively.  (The Guardian)

 

07/17/15 Guinness Nigeria, Concern Universal unveil community-led water, sanitation projects
 

Guinness Nigeria partnered with Concern Universal to offer clear water for rural communities. The partnership will strengthen the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN) program by offering protected water in villages that have been declared open defecation free. The partnership also trains WASH committees on borehole restoration to prevent future breakdowns. The committees also must develop their own water administration plans and plans to finance hardware repairs.  (The People)

 

07/16/15 Lack of sanitation undermining health gains
 

Sanjay Wijesekera, head of UNICEF's global WASH programs noted that the "Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water" report demonstrates the need to focus on inequalities to achieve sustainable progress in sanitation. Because access to adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene plays a key role in preventing neglected tropical diseases, the global model for development must ensure the poorest countries make progress on sanitation. The WHO and UNICEF indicated that the SDGs must close the inequality gaps that remain after the MDGs so that poor communities can also benefit from improved hygiene and sanitation in homes, schools, and health care facilities.  (Business World)

 

07/16/15 Hygiene: The Cinderella of the SDG Ball
 

Handwashing with soap, one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrhea, was neglected in the Millennium Development Goals and not properly prioritized in international development. The SDGs are being negotiated now and hygiene is part of a target to "achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030."  However, statisticians at the UN have recently proposed dropping hygiene from the list of SDG indicators that will be tracked globally, thereby diluting the mandate to invest in hygiene improvement. A letter sent to the UN this week emphasized the essential role of hygiene in bringing better health, nutrition, education, equity, and economic opportunities to millions around the world.  (Huffington Post)

 

07/16/15 Educating Women About Their Bodies Makes Good Economic Sense

The movement to help girls in developing countries access menstrual products is broadening its approach to include education that teaches girls about their bodies. SHE offers health education and outreach to girls and students in addition to its core product. In-country production of pads provides women with an additional source of income that can lead to other job opportunities as machine technicians or street hawkers.  (Next City)

 

07/15/15 Unilever collaborates with Amref Health Africa to fight cholera outbreak

Unilever East Africa and Amref Health Africa recently partnered to improve government efforts in controlling and preventing the spread of cholera. The cholera outbreak that began in December 2014 has affected 16 countries in Kenya, affecting nearly 5,000 people and killing 100. The collaboration with Unilever will raise awareness about hygiene and sanitation throughout the country by targeting communities and schoolchildren and encouraging them to adopt long-term behavior change.  (Vaccine News Daily)

 

07/15/15Addis: 'Historic' agreement reached on financing for new UN sustainable development agenda

Countries agreed on a series of bold measures to overhaul global finance practices and generate investments for tackling economic, social, and environmental challenges. The 100 concrete measures that comprise the Addis Ababa Action Agenda aim to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Domestic resource mobilization is central to the agenda and countries also reaffirmed their commitment to development assistance for the least developed countries and pledged to increase South-South cooperation.  (UN News Centre)

 

07/14/15 The Consequences of India's Lack of Toilets Go Beyond Hygiene
 

The lack of flush toilets and widespread practice of open defecation has given rise to deepening social problems in India. On July 4, 2015, a 17 year-old teenage girl in Jharkand who was ashamed of defecating outdoors allegedly killed herself after her parents denied her repeated request to build a toilet. Last year, two teenage girls in Uttar Pradesh were found hanged from a tree after they had been gang raped after having walked outdoors at night to use the toilet. Providing toilets for women has been complicated by the prominence of male engineers in government departments that focus more on the technical aspects of toilet construction rather than developing a design that meets the privacy and menstrual hygiene management needs of women and girls.  (Global Voices)

 

07/14/15 First real-life trial for oral cholera vaccine successful in Bangladesh
 

The first real-life trial of the oral cholera vaccine was successful and Shanchol has been deemed safe to use and viable for protection against the disease. Results reveal that severe life-threatening cases of cholera were reduced by nearly 40% among those vaccinated. The study, published in The Lancet, examined the drug's effectiveness in urban Bangladesh where the disease is endemic. The findings represent a huge step toward controlling outbreaks and developing effective mass vaccination programs.  (Medical News Today)

 

07/14/15 Can We Finance Sustainable Development?
 

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been the most comprehensive international poverty alleviation movement in history. Since 1990, extreme poverty has been cut by half; 17,000 fewer children die each day; and 2.3 billion people gained access to clean drinking water. A multi-stakeholder coalition of governments, international organizations, and civil society groups has tackled crucial issues ranging from education to improved sanitation to gender equality. And yet, the challenge of empowering hundreds of millions more to gain access to proper healthcare, sanitary facilities, and education is enormous.  (The Huffington Post)

 

07/11/15 Hygiene in schools to get a fillip with WinS
 

Governor P. Sathasivam inaugurated WASH in Schools in 1,001 schools in five southern districts of the State. A toilet block with 13 units, including one that accommodates children with physical disabilities, will be constructed at the Government Higher Secondary School for Girls under the project. The project enables children to develop good hygiene habits and raises awareness of the importance of sanitation and hygiene. Sathasivam urged Rotary to expand WASH in Schools to all schools in the State. (The Hindu)

 

07/11/15 MSF opens new cholera treatment centre in Juba
 

MSF opened a new cholera treatment center in Munuki, a suburb in the South Sudanese capital of Juba, to tackle the cholera outbreak. MSF is working with the health ministry in South Sudan to establish facilities that will provide needed medical services throughout South Sudan. In Juba, there have been a total of 733 reported cholera cases and 33 deaths since the ministry declared a cholera outbreak. UNICEF has urged donors to supply $4.6 million dollars to fund an emergency cholera response during the next six months.  (Sudan Tribune)

 

07/10/15 Water and Sanitation Urged as Focal Points at Addis Ababa
 

Ahead of the International Financing for Development Conference, WaterAid has called upon world leaders to prioritize programs for water, sanitation, and hygiene. WaterAid released a new report, "Essential Element" that identified 45 high-priority countries that have been left behind in financing for water, sanitation, and hygiene programs. In each of the countries, half or more of the population does not have a safe place to defecate, which puts their citizens at high risk of contracting waterborne diseases and pandemic illnesses.  (UN Inter Press Service)

 

07/09/15 'Menstrual Man' speaks on finding a simple solution to a global problem
 

Over 85% of women in India lack access to affordable menstrual hygiene and as a result, over 70% of female reproductive disease in India is attributed to poor menstrual hygiene. Arunachalam Muruganantham, a school dropout from Southern India, worked to create a sanitary pad that his wife could afford. He developed a small machine that could be operated and maintained by and for illiterate woman in small Indian villages. Two decades after he began his work, his business employs over 20,000 women in rural India and his products are available in more than 17 other countries.  (Vancouver Observer)

 

07/09/15 Cheap vaccines prevent cholera
 

A study in Bangladesh found that a cheap oral vaccine prevented cases of deadly cholera. The study gave a third of participants the vaccine, a third of participants the vaccine and free soap to wash their hands, and a third had no change to their normal lifestyle.  More than 260,000 people took part in the study and the study showed that the vaccine reduced cholera cases by 37% (45% when combined with handwashing) and halved the number of the most serious cases. The findings were published in the Lancet, but experts indicated it was crucial to still tackle poor sanitation.  (BBC News)

 

07/09/15 Media equally responsible in solving sanitation problems

D.G. Lakshman, a journalist, expressed concern over 'Swachh Bharat' failures and noted that the media is responsible for helping to eliminate open defecation. At a day-long workshop for media on sanitation organized by UNICEF and Communication for Development and Learning, Lakshman encouraged members of the media to highlight the detrimental effects of open defecation with facts and figures to raise awareness. Lakshman stressed the importance of highlighting success stories around sanitation and open defecation in order to effect change and eradicate open defecation.  (The Hindu)

 

07/09/15 A global crisis of water quality looms

A major global concern at present is that the world will run out of water to meet the needs of its burgeoning population. Since water is needed for every aspect of life, the fear is that there will not be enough water for an estimated 9.3 billion people by 2050 and their numerous water-related needs. However, the most pressing global water problem of the future will be water quality and not quantity. The quality of water is progressively deteriorating in nearly all the countries of the world.  (The Malay Mail Online)

 

07/09/15 Eastern Ukraine: EU and UNICEF work to improve access to water for children and families

 

The EU has provided €500,000 to UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to improve the water, sanitation, and hygiene situation of conflict-affected communities in eastern Ukraine. Through this joint initiative, over 36,000 children and adults will benefit from hygiene supplies and will receive access to safe drinking water in government-controlled and non-government-controlled areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. (EU Neighbourhood Info Centre)

 

07/08/15 K'taka among top 5 states in building public toilets

Karantaka ranks among the top five states that have taken a lead in building community and public toilets under Swachh Bharat. Delhi has completed construction of 5,776 community and public toilets since the launch of Swachh Bharat. Under Swachh Bharat, 17,411 community and public toilets have been constructed from April-June 2015, compared to 1,222 toilets constructed from October 2014-March 2015.  (Deccan Herald)

 

7/7/15 Beer and business: the unexpected benefits of water access in Cameroon

Most of the recipients of the water, from the $1.3m project, in the local village of Mindif are using it to start small businesses, which they see as the best way of adapting to the increasingly tough climatic conditions and to overcome poverty. (The Guardian)

 

07/05/15 Here is why India may be on the brink of an unprecedented full-blown water crisis


Last year, Nalgonda experienced severe drought with a rainfall shortage of almost 42%. Water and fluoride expert Srinivas Chekuri claimed that the demand for water for drinking and farming is at a peak and the wastage of water from the district's reverse osmosis plants exacerbates water scarcity. Apart from Nalgonda's water shortage, the World Resources Institute predicts that in fifteen years, the national supply of water is expected to fall 50% below demand in India and agriculture and rapid urbanization will stress already fragile water resources.  (The Economic Times)

 

07/02/15 Vietnam: Closer to bringing drinking water and sanitation to all

A robust 15-year commitment helps Viet Nam exceed the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for water and sanitation. "With the MDGs, the government strengthened its political commitment and began considering access to water and sanitation as an indicator of socio-economic development." The commitment has paid off. Viet Nam has not only met the MDG targets to reach 82% and 68% of the population with improved water and sanitation, it has surpassed them.  (World Health Organization)

 

07/01/15 The Dhaka slum being transformed by women

In 2010, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) funded the Urban Partnership for Poverty Reduction in the Korail slum in Dhaka. Every 20 households formed a primary group of stakeholders and elected representatives from these groups to form community development committees. The development committee clusters built latrines and transformed a piece of land commonly used for open defecation into a block of six toilets. The toilets have reduced waterborne diseases and have drastically improved the health of children living in the Korail slum.  (BBC News)

 

07/01/15 Inadequate Menstrual Hygiene Violates Girls' Right to Education
 

Network for Society, Water, and Sanitation (NEWSAN) based in the Bauchi State of Nigeria lamented that girls' rights to education are violated without adequate menstrual hygiene. Nicole Kankani, a NEWSAN Program Officer, indicated that menstrual hygiene facilities keep girls in school where they can reach their full potential and that menstrual hygiene is fundamental to ensuring physical health and social and mental well being.  (All Africa)

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