The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, has been a game-changer in improving sanitation and public health across India. A recent Nature study underscores the profound impact of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), revealing its role in significantly lowering infant mortality rates and saving between 60,000 and 70,000 lives each year. SBM has effectively transformed public health outcomes and made a considerable difference in the lives of India’s most vulnerable.
The study, titled “Toilet Construction under the Swachh Bharat Mission and Infant Mortality in India,” analysed data from 640 districts over a period from 2011 to 2020. It found a clear link between increased access to toilets and a drop in infant and child mortality. In districts where at least 30 per cent of households received toilets, there were 5.3 fewer infant deaths and 6.8 fewer deaths of children under five per 1,000 live births. This shows how better sanitation directly contributes to saving children’s lives.
Prime Minister Modi started the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) to fix India’s long-standing sanitation problems. His goal was to improve hygiene and end the practice of open defecation that has been a major issue for many years. At the time, millions of people in rural and urban areas lacked access to basic toilet facilities, leading to widespread open defecation. This practice contributed to the spread of diseases like diarrhoea, which disproportionately affected infants and young children. By focusing on building over 100 million toilets and changing public attitudes towards hygiene, the SBM sought to improve both the health and dignity of citizens, particularly in low-income regions.
The program was not just about infrastructure but about creating a cultural shift towards hygiene. By involving communities in the process and conducting public awareness campaigns, the SBM promoted sustained behavioural changes that directly impacted public health outcomes, including a significant reduction in infant mortality.
Why SBM Worked:
The success of the SBM went beyond just constructing toilets. It was a holistic approach that included:
- Infrastructure Development: Building toilets in rural and urban areas.
- Community Engagement: Involving communities in the process to ensure people understood the benefits of sanitation.
- Hygiene Education: Teaching people about good hygiene practices to prevent disease.
- Continuous Monitoring: Regular checks ensured that the program stayed on track and that behaviour changes were sustained.
This combination led to a reduction in open defecation, which is a major cause of illnesses like diarrhoea that are especially dangerous for infants.
A key observation of the study was the “threshold effect,” where districts saw significant health improvements when at least 30 per cent of households gained access to toilets.
As one of the largest sanitation programs globally, the Swachh Bharat Mission offers valuable lessons for other countries dealing with similar public health challenges. The study suggests that the combination of infrastructure development and community engagement key elements of SBM can be replicated elsewhere to improve sanitation and reduce infant mortality. By addressing both the physical and behavioural aspects of sanitation, SBM serves as a blueprint for large-scale public health initiatives. The program’s success lies in its combination of infrastructure with sustained community participation and behaviour changes. This is making it distinct from previous sanitation efforts in India.
While the SBM has made remarkable progress, the study also pointed out challenges.Ensuring people keep using the toilets built under the program is still a major issue. The effectiveness of the sanitation program is still impacted by social and economic challenges. For example, in some areas, people have been accustomed to open defecation for a long time, and changing these deeply rooted habits can be difficult. These issues are especially pronounced in rural and less developed regions, where the program might face more obstacles in getting people to use the new toilets consistently.
The researchers stressed the need for continued efforts to maintain behavioural changes and expand sanitation coverage. Reaching the most disadvantaged communities, where sanitation issues are most severe, is critical to sustaining the gains achieved under SBM.
The Swachh Bharat Mission stands as a major public health success, saving tens of thousands of infant lives annually. Prime Minister Modi’s focus on improving sanitation through a comprehensive and community-driven approach has transformed public health outcomes across India. Despite the challenges ahead, SBM remains a shining example of how sanitation reforms can lead to significant health benefits and offers a model for similar efforts in other countries.
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