For the past 40 years, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has been working to address the challenges of water and sanitation in India. It has developed significant expertise in the fields of improving access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene promotion. AKF’s Comprehensive Sanitation Initiative, launched in 2015, is a multi-state programme directly supporting the national flagship campaigns, Clean India Mission and Jal Jeevan Mission. The focus is on facilitating access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and transforming long-standing behaviours that help reduce disease, create healthier communities and improve the quality of life in rural and urban settings. To date, the Initiative has facilitated 140,000+ households with improved access to toilets, with a 95% usage rate amongst families.
Today is World Toilet Day (WTD) 2019, and here is what some beneficiaries report from India:
Toilets improve health
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Sanitation eases life
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“Leaving no one behind”
The WTD 2019 theme is "Leaving No One Behind". One of the key principles guiding the AKF Comprehensive Sanitation Initiative is to promote inclusive designs of sanitation models to ensure accessibility for all. About 7-8% of the project population live with some form of impairment. Addressing the concerns of those most in need, the Foundation has demonstrated community toilet models that are segregated, include handlebars, safe water access and ramps. To that extent, 5,379 persons with disabilities and 7,324 elderly have been ensured access to sanitation with 95% and 96% usage rate respectively.
Women drive change
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For more information about the AKF Comprehensive Sanitation Initiative in India, click here.