People unaware of sanitation

People unaware of sanitation

TANGERANG: The local health office has stepped up its campaign
to break the long-standing habit among residents of poor
subdistricts near Soekarno-Hatta International Airport of using
their gardens as toilets.

The head of the office, Nuriman Machyudin, said on Friday that
months of surveys by his staff in Sukatani and Kampung Bulak
Kambing villages showed that residents of the slum areas were
unaware of sanitation.

"Even members of families who have lavatories in their houses
prefer to go to the bathroom in the yard," Nuriman said as quoted
by Antara. "It's quite difficult to change their habit and
promote a healthy lifestyle."

In its study, the medical staff found 16 people suffering from
tuberculosis, nine of them requiring intensive care. Apart from
TB, the staff also discovered diseases resulting from unhygienic
conditions, including diarrhea and intestinal worms.

Nuriman said the campaign would move to the mayoralty's other
subdistricts of Karawaci Ilir, Sudimara Selatan, Pasir and
Kampung Panjang.

He said people in the areas would be obliged to build 823
public lavatories. (amd)