WHO Report Highlights Significant Impact Of 'Har Ghar Jal' Program On Public Health And Economic Savings
“We are witnessing the role of safe drinking water in saving lives, empowering women and girls, and contributing to ease of living”. This was stated by Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog at the launch of the groundbreaking report of WHO highlighting the substantial benefits of the 'Har Ghar Jal' program in India.
The report estimates that ensuring safely managed drinking water for all households in the country could avert nearly 400,000 deaths caused by diarrheal diseases and prevent approximately 14 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) related to these diseases. This achievement alone would result in estimated cost savings of up to USD 101 billion. The analysis focuses on diarrhoeal diseases as it accounts for the majority of WASH-attributable disease burden.
Vini Mahajan, Secretary, of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, and Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, of the Department of Health Research, Director General, of Indian Council of Medical Research, Dr. Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO Representative to India was also present.
Dr Bahl, DG, ICMR commended the achievement of Har Ghar Jal in providing citizens with access to clean drinking water. “Government of India’s investment in Jal Jeevan Mission has a significant multiplier effect on health as has been brought out by this study”, he stated.
The ‘Har Ghar Jal’ report focuses on diarrheal diseases as they contribute significantly to the overall disease burden related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) issues. The analysis underscores the urgent need to address these diseases and the potential for substantial gains in public health and economic well-being.
The World Health Organization (WHO) monitors various Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators, including the proportion of the population using safely managed drinking water services (Indicator 6.1.1) and mortality related to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (Indicator 3.9.2). WHO has developed methods and tools to estimate the health gains associated with improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene, particularly in reducing diarrheal diseases and other related health outcomes.
Prior to 2019, the situation of water supply in rural areas was challenging. The report reveals that in 2018, 36 per cent of India's total population, including 44 per cent of the rural population, lacked access to improved drinking-water sources on their premises.
The direct consumption of unsafe drinking water had severe health and societal consequences. The analysis indicates that in 2019, unsafe drinking water, along with inadequate sanitation and hygiene, contributed to 1.4 million deaths and 74 million DALYs globally.
