Wednesday 16 December 2015

World Bank approves $1.5bn loan for toilets in India

India is working hard to improve sanitation in the country
The World Bank has approved a $1.5bn loan for a sanitation program in India, where millions of people have no access to toilets. According to estimates, around 500 million people in rural India continue to defecate in the open. Of the 2.4-billion people globally who lack access to improved sanitation, 750 million reside in India. The bank said in a statement on Wednesday that the loan will be used to support government efforts to provide toilets in villages and end the practice of open defecation by 2019.
World Bank representative Onno Ruhl said one in every 10 deaths in India is linked to poor sanitation. Defecating outdoors increases cases of diarrhea, parasitic worm infections and other public health scourges that experts say contribute to childhood stunting and malnutrition.

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