Welcome to Ministry of Healthcare & Nutrition

2.6 billion people( 41% of the global population) are still without access to basic sanitation facilities. As a result millions suffer from a wide range of preventable diseases, such as diarrhea, which claims thousands of lives each day, primarily young children. To put a spotlight on this issue UN General Assembly declared the year 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation (IYS).

The goal of the IYS is to create awareness and accelerate the progress towards the Millennium Development Goal target to reduce by half the proportion of people without basic sanitation by 2015. This target was defined in the Johannesburg plan of implementation in 2002.

1. Increase awareness and commitment from stakeholders at all levels, both inside and outside the sector on the importance of reaching the sanitation millennium development goals, including health¸ gender equity, education¸ sustainable development, economic and environmental issues via compelling and communication.

2. Mobilize governments existing alliances, financial institutions, sanitation and service providers, major groups, the private sector and UN Agencies via rapid collaborative agreements on how and who will undertake goals, including the JPOH target on access to basic sanitation.

3.Secure real commitments to review, develop and implement effective action to scale up sanitation programmes and strengthen sanitation policies via the assignment of clear responsibilities for getting this done at the national and international levels.

4.Encourage demand driven, sustainable & traditional solutions, and informed choices by recognizing the importance of working from the bottom up with practitioners and communities.

5. Secure increased financing to start and sustain progress via commitments from national budgets and development partner allocations.

6. Develop and strengthen institutional and human capacity via recognition at all levels that progress in sanitation toward the MDGs involves interlinked programmes in hygiene, household and school facilities (such as toilets and washing facilities), and
the collection, treatment and safe reuse or disposal of wastewater and human excreta. Community mobilization, the recognition of women's key role and stake, along with an appropriate mix of "software" and "hardware" interventions are essential.

7. Enhance the sustainability and therefore the effectiveness of available sanitation solutions, to enhance health impacts, social and cultural acceptance, technological and institutional appropriateness, and the protection of the environment and natural
resources.

8. Promote and capture learning to enhance the evidence base and knowledge on sanitation which will greatly contribute to the advocacy and increase investments in the sector.
Link –www.sanitationyear2008.org