PHA-Exch> Investing in sanitation is investing in human dignity, says UN expert

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Asako Hattori <AHattori at ohchr.org>
crossposted from: scn-wgnehr at googlegroups.com




http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/EDE19327FC1CFB1EC125750500585054?opendocument

  *Investing in sanitation is investing in
human dignity, says UN expert
*
 xxxxxxxxxx

 GENEVA -- "Access to improved sanitation is a matter of human rights—it is
a matter of human dignity," said the UN Independent Expert on the issue of
human rights obligations attached to access to safe drinking water and
sanitation, Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque.

"There is compelling evidence that sanitation brings the single greatest
return on investment of any development intervention (roughly $9 for every
$1 spent). Yet it remains the most neglected and most off-track of the
Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets."

Sanitation has been considered as the most important medical advance since
1840 - beating antibiotics, vaccines, and anaesthesia. "Access to sanitation
is essential for people to live in dignity, yet 40% of the world still does
not have basic sanitation" laments Ms. de Albuquerque.

"The scale of the crisis is enormous," according to the Independent Expert.
The United Nations reports that 2.5 billion people do not have access to
improved sanitation.

"Access to sanitation goes hand in hand with human rights and human dignity"
said the Expert. Contamination of food and water caused by sanitation
problems undermines the right to food, and access to safe drinking water.
Lack of access to toilets at school has been shown to lead to drop outs or
non-enrolment of girls, impacting their right to education. Sanitation
facilities are also considered a fundamental part of the right to adequate
housing. More fundamentally, being forced to defecate in public is an
affront to human dignity.

Poor sanitation has profound effects on the right to health, with an
estimated 5,000 children dying from diarrhea every day. In Sub-Saharan
Africa, treating diarrhea related diseases costs an estimated 12 percent of
national health budgets. With widespread disease and illness, the
productivity of workers' is drastically reduced, and children are absent
from school. For the most part, it is poorest and most marginalized groups
who suffer from the worst sanitation conditions.

"Infant deaths, lost work days, and missed school are estimated to have an
economic cost of around USD 38 billion per year", highlights the Expert.

"For too long, sanitation has been neglected as a taboo topic. Investing in
sanitation will not only lead to the enjoyment of human rights, but will
also contribute to improved development outcomes and overall living
standards," said the Independent Expert.

"Although there has been increased attention to sanitation in 2008, the
International Year of Sanitation, it is clear that the MDG target of halving
the number of people without access to basic sanitation will not be met
unless considerable efforts are made to continue the focus on sanitation."
In this regard, Ms. de Albuquerque, called upon Governments to prioritize
sanitation and encouraged them to increase the percentage of their
respective national budgets (including of Overseas Development Aid) to
sanitation.

The Independent Expert also said that "universal sanitation is achievable
and around the world successful sanitation programmes have been implemented
by governments and civil society. They have however to be replicated in
other villages, cities and countries so that "sanitation for all" becomes a
reality". In this context, the Expert commends the work that is being done
by countless individuals, non-governmental organisations, governments and UN
agencies that devote their best efforts, skills and energy to promoting
sanitation for all.

November 19 is World Toilet Day, its establishment being an occasion to
celebrate progress made in the area of sanitation, but also to raise
awareness to the fact that over 2.5 billion people still do not have access
to basic sanitation.

ENDS
*
Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as
the Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to
access to safe drinking water and sanitation at its ninth session in
September 2008, and took up her functions on 1 November 2008.*
*
For more information on the work and mandate of the Independent Expert,
please visit: **http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/water/iexpert/index.htm
* <http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/water/iexpert/index.htm>
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