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The Swachh Bharat Mission, India's national cleanliness program, has yielded remarkable results, with a study revealing a significant correlation between the construction of toilets and a reduction in infant mortality rates. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, analyzed data collected over two decades, focusing on the period from 2000 to 2020, and found that districts with improved toilet access experienced a considerable decline in infant and under-five child deaths. Specifically, a 10% increase in toilet access corresponded to a decrease in infant mortality rate by 0.9 points and under-five mortality rate by 1.1 points. The study's authors estimated that this translates to approximately 60,000-70,000 fewer infant deaths each year. This finding aligns with global and South Asian studies indicating that enhanced sanitation can reduce child mortality rates by 5-30%.
The positive impact of the Swachh Bharat Mission extends beyond reduced mortality rates, as evidenced by recent research highlighting the broader benefits of increased toilet access. These benefits include improved women's safety, financial savings due to lower medical expenses, and an overall enhancement in quality of life. However, despite these significant advancements, inequalities in toilet adoption and usage persist due to discriminatory practices based on caste and religion. This underscores the need for addressing these social disparities to ensure the program's long-term success and equitable impact. The study's authors acknowledge the potential for coercion and discrimination in meeting campaign targets, which have unfortunately violated the rights of certain individuals, particularly manual scavengers and those from lower castes. These practices raise concerns about the sustainability of hygiene-related behavioral change and hinder the program's equitable implementation.
Launched in 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission aimed to address the issue of open defecation in rural areas by providing toilet access to all households. As of July 2024, over 120 million toilets have been constructed across India, impacting over 500 million people. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has recognized the program's progress, highlighting that villages declared open defecation-free, with every household equipped with a toilet, have experienced significant financial savings, reducing annual expenses by up to Rs. 50,000 per household. This demonstrates the economic benefits associated with improved sanitation practices. While the Swachh Bharat Mission has achieved remarkable success in improving sanitation and reducing child mortality, ongoing efforts are needed to address inequalities and ensure the program's equitable and sustainable impact on all communities.
Source: 'Swachh Bharat' Toilets Helped Avert 70,000 Infant Deaths A Year: Study