Better sanitation and sanitary habits needed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has to strife for better sanitation
\nand water management since only about 49 percent of the country's
\nvillages have toilets and only 65.7 percent of the 69,000
\nvillages nationwide receive sanitized water.<\/p>\n
Dirty water and poor sanitation can create health problems and
\nspread diseases especially in areas hit by floods and landslides
\nsuch as Aceh, West and North Sumatra, South Sulawesi and East
\nNusa Tenggara,\" Minister of Health and Social Welfare Achmad
\nSujudi said on Thursday after the opening of coordination meeting
\non water and pollution management.<\/p>\n
Data from the ministry revealed that so far only 54.1 percent
\nof the available water resources could meet with the required
\nstandards.<\/p>\n
\"We have to admit that some Indonesians are still very
\nignorant and continue being negligent with regard to sanitation.<\/p>\n
They use rivers and gutters as toilets. Their lack of
\nawareness of the importance sanitation worsens the problem,\"
\nDirector General for Communicable Diseases Umar Fahmi Achmadi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
What makes it even worse is that the country does not have an
\nintegrated scheme for water and waste management, Umar said.<\/p>\n
\"All waste, from organic to nonorganic, go into one channel,
\nsuch as a gutter. There are no distinction made between house
\nhold waste, sewage and industrial waste,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In a bid to promote sanitation and the use of clean water, the
\nministry has initiated the second phase of Water Sanitation for
\nLow Income Community from 2000 to 2005 covering six provinces,
\namong them South Sumatra, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara and West
\nSumatra.<\/p>\n
\"This project costs US$77 million, part of the funds were
\nobtained from a grant and interest-free loan from the World Bank.
\nOnly a commitment fee of 0.57 percent was charged.\" Umar said.<\/p>\n
Some Rp 800 billion ($83 million under the current currency
\nrate) has already been spent in the first phase of the project
\nfrom 1995 to 2000, but still the sanitation problems have not
\nbeen resolved.<\/p>\n
Besides the water sanitation program, the ministry also plans
\nto continue its nationwide Sanitation Week program to develop the
\nawareness and participation of the communities in adopting
\nsanitary measures in fighting diseases such as diarrhea or
\nrespiratory problems.<\/p>\n
\"The communities should come up with their own resources and
\nfunds to run this program.<\/p>\n
The ministry and the United Nations Children Fund can only
\ngive guidance, the rest is up to the communities,\" director of
\nclean water and waste management Abdullah Muthalib.<\/p>\n
\"We are starting with simple messages, such as, 'wash your
\nhands with soap before eating,\" Abdullah said.<\/p>\n
Abdullah cited an alarming fact that a study conducted in
\ncertain rural and urban areas recently disclosed that none of the
\npeople wash their hands after using the toilet.<\/p>\n
\"Based on our research, only about 62.6 percent of the people
\nwashed their hands before eating and only 50 percent used proper
\ntoilets,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"This of course is very disturbing since bad sanitary habits
\ncan lead to various illnesses such as diarrhea.<\/p>\n
Diarrhea, he explained, have become the third biggest cause of
\ndeath for children under five and is the fifth biggest cause of
\ndeath in the all-age category,\" Abdullah added.<\/p>\n
Two years ago, there were a total of 11,818 cases of diarrhea
\nin 23 provinces, 275 of which ended in death.<\/p>\n
In 1995, there were 280 cases of diarrhea per 1,000 people.<\/p>\n
Sujudi added: \"People, especially those living in rural areas
\npay little attention to sanitation.<\/p>\n
That is why we still have a long way to go in building
\nawareness in people. The people have to take the initiative in
\ndeveloping good sanitary habits. It's impossible for the
\ngovernment to be always telling its citizens how to do things
\nright, even when after using the toilet,\" he said. (edt)<\/p>",
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