Harvey Peter A
Chief, Water and Environmental Sanitation, UNICEF, Zambia, Associate, Water, Engineering Development Centre, Loughborough University, U.K.
Environ Health Insights. 2008 Sep 16;2:77-81. doi: 10.4137/ehi.s1047.
well over a century after the sanitary revolution in 19th century Europe, 40% of the world's population still lacks access to improved sanitation. Important lessons from the past must be applied today if the crisis is to be averted. Sanitation has suffered from a lack of prioritization for as long as it has remained the poor relation to water supply. The International Year of Sanitation 2008 provides an opportunity to separate the two and give sanitation the emphasis it requires. The economic argument for sanitation must be articulated and non-health incentives for improved sanitation exploited. Environmental sanitation results in a multitude of socio-economic benefits and can contribute positively to all the Millennium Development Goals. Community-led bottom-up approaches, rather than supply-led or technology-driven approaches, are most effective in increasing and sustaining access to sanitation but need to be implemented at scale. Targeted strategies for urban and school sanitation are also required. Evidence-based advocacy can help develop the political will that is now needed to ensure sufficient public sector investment, leadership, legislation and regulation to ensure that the fundamental human right of access to sanitation is realized.
在19世纪欧洲卫生革命过去一个多世纪后，世界上仍有40%的人口无法获得改善后的卫生设施。若要避免这场危机，必须汲取过去的重要经验教训。长期以来，环境卫生一直未得到应有的重视，其地位始终低于供水。2008年国际环境卫生年提供了一个将两者区分开来并给予环境卫生所需重视的契机。必须阐明环境卫生的经济论据，并利用改善环境卫生的非健康激励措施。环境卫生带来众多社会经济效益，能对所有千年发展目标做出积极贡献。以社区为主导的自下而上的方法比以供应为主导或技术驱动的方法在增加和维持卫生设施普及率方面更为有效，但需要大规模实施。还需要针对城市和学校环境卫生制定有针对性的战略。基于证据的宣传有助于形成当前所需的政治意愿，以确保公共部门有足够的投资、领导力、立法和监管措施来保障实现获得卫生设施这一基本人权。
