Better sanitation can save thousands of Myanmar children’s livesYangon, 27 February 2005 – Today, at the launching of the 9th National Sanitation Week in Myanmar, UNICEF stressed that every family in the country can improve the health of their children by adopting four simple hygienic measures. Diarrhea is one of the leading killers of Myanmar’s children. Poor sanitation and hygiene are directly linked to the prevalence of diarrhea-related illness and death among children. “Children who use clean latrines, drink clean water, eat clean food, and regularly wash their hands enjoy healthier childhoods, and are more resistant to illness,” said UNICEF Representative in Myanmar Carroll C. Long. “If every family in the country adopted these four simple hygienic measures – clean latrines, clean water, clean food, and clean hands – many lives could be saved,” she added. UNICEF and its partners are supporting the construction of sanitary latrines in schools, health centers and households, and working with local communities to explore means of constructing quality latrines out of inexpensive, locally available materials. While significant progress has been made in extending sanitation coverage in Myanmar, many areas of the country, particularly remote rural areas, still lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. In Myanmar, UNICEF is working to address these needs by focusing its assistance on improving access to sanitation services, particularly in schools, rural health centers and underserved communities. *************** The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) establishes that children have the right to survival and health services. Myanmar ratified the CRC in 1991. *************** For further information please contact: Jason Rush Phone: (95 1) 212 086
Better sanitation can save thousands of Myanmar children's lives |
