Call for sanitation awareness

Health education related to water, sanitation and hygiene (Wash) should be conducted at all levels in Papua New Guinea, a scientific researcher says.
Rebecca Emori, a senior scientific officer at the PNG Institute of Medical Research (PNG IMR), said these levels of society include communities, schools, health facilities and the general population.
“Health education on Wash encourages the development of healthy behaviours for life,” Emorisaid.
During her presentation at the 55th PNG Medical Symposium on Wednesday, Emori said health education on Wash remained a public health challenge in Papua New Guinea.
Emori said according to PNG IMR study in the country, there was a lack of evidence-based research on Wash in both rural and urban areas.
She said this was because data was needed to inform policy and guide the country’s responses to emerging issues.
Emori said about 480,000 children died each year from diarrhoea despite the availability of a simple treatment solution.
She said since the creation of the PNG Wash policy and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) 6 in 2015, they measured water accessibility, toilets and hygiene practices using data from PNG IMR comprehensive health and epidemiological surveillances (CHESS).
“Up to date, Wash is provided to the National Planning and Monitoring Department to use to address Wash issues in the country,” Emori said.
She said the CHESS sites were based in four provinces – National Capital District, Eastern Highlands, Madang and East New Britain.
Based on the report, she said most people had access to improved water sources and soap, however, few had accessed to proper toilets.
Therefore, she said they wanted pit toilets with proper roofs and slabs to be built, appropriate hand washing practices needed to be given and people should be educated on boiling water before drinking.
“This will strengthen PNG’s progress in moving the UN SDG goal 6, Clean Water and Sanitation agenda forward by 2030,” Emori said.