The Sanitation Task Force (STF) in Sri Lanka yesterday announced the necessity politicians ,teachers , households and communities in general  to ensure  sanitation in their  localities  by creating  adequate awareness and understanding of its  importance  in maintaining  the health of the  nation. STF made this statement yesterday at a function held to mark International Year of Sanitation

Researcher International Water Management Institute (IWMI)Alexandra Evans said that, WMI mission is to improve the management of land and water resources for food live hood and nature. And their target water and land management challenges faced by poor communities in developing countries and though this contribute towards the achievement of  the UN Millenium development goals of reducing poverty , hunger and maintain sustainable environment. 

Addressing the media, Secretary to the Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage Asoka Peiris said, sanitation is combined approach one and media also have to combined with this. However, Sri Lanka enjoyed 80% sanitation until the country was affected the tsunami and there 32% of pipe water and 2.8% of sanitary water presently available the country he said

He recalled the recycling cleaning water in the Singapore in 18% and SriLankan also continuing for water shortage will be happen in future he said. However this recycling cleaning water can use secondary work also he added that.

Access to sanitation is lowest in districts such as Anuradhapura, Ampara and Moneragala and in some conflict affected districts, sanitation is as low as 30 %. A high percentage of Sri Lanka’s 10,000 schools do not have adequate sanitation facilities and 600 do not have any at all 15% of the schools have facilities that been recorded as irreparable by the Ministry of Education.

It is often the urban poor that tack adequate facilities which seriously affect their dignity and standard of living. Sanitation and hygiene are about health but they are also about dignity, something that everyone has the right to.

In urban areas, not onLy is there a lack of toilet facilities but where they do exist, plugged or overflowing septic tanks compromise water quality and are the primary cause of diarrhea and the third leading cause of infant deaths in Sri Lanka. Adequate sanitation and awareness of wastewater management are important steps in improving public health - a key aim of the IYS.

Access to a toilet can reduce child diarrhoeal deaths by over 30% and hand washing can reduce deaths by 40%. Breaking the faecat-oral cycle - the principal route of transmission of infectious diarrhoeal disease — depends primarily upon hand washing with soap before preparing food, eating and after defecation. Motivating mothers to do this simple task is perhaps the most cost effective way of saving lives and preventing morbidity in children - the ultimate goal of the InternationaL Year of Sanitation.

According to the school census of 2007, in Sri Lanka 3658 schools do not have adequate sanitation facilities and 2373 do not have drinking water facilities. Studies carried out by WHO and other International organizations have shown that availability of water and sanitation facilities contribute to better health among children thereby improving their capacity for learning. The Ministry of Education has therefore worked out the water and sanitation needs for the school in Sri lanka and is attempting to provide them. 

Hand washing can save lives .Effective sanitation programme should include efforts to promote hygiene.  Unwashed hands can transmit bacteria, viruses and parasites found in human faeces directly to foods and mouth.