Biswas Sourav, Adhikary Mihir, Alam Asraful, Islam Nazrul, Roy Ranjan
Department of Population & Development, International Institute for Population Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai, 400088, Maharashtra, India.
Department of Public Health and Mortality Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai, 400088, Maharashtra, India.
Heliyon. 2024 Sep 7;10(18):e37646. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37646. eCollection 2024 Sep 30.
Access to affordable and improved Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities is essential for people's daily lives, and it is the primary goal of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6). However, achieving this goal is a significant challenge for many countries, including India. The aim of this study is to assess the progress made towards achieving SDG-6 targets in Indian districts, states, and Union Territories (UTs) and to identify clusters by measuring spatial inequality of WASH coverage in India.
The primary objective of this study is to measure the progress made towards achieving the SDG-6 targets for WASH facilities in Indian districts, states, and UTs. To fulfill this objective, the study used the household data of the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) conducted from 2019 to 21.
The study used the household data of NFHS-5, which is a nationally representative survey that provides information on household and individual-level characteristics related to health and nutrition. The study identified the variables associated with WASH and created a composite index to measure WASH coverage separately and combined. The study used Gini coefficient to show WASH inequality, and Moran's statistics were used to show spatial dependency.
The study found that the inequality of improved water coverage sources in Indian districts was high. Western and northeastern districts need to catch up in terms of achieving the SDG-6 targets. The value of the Gini coefficient (0.29) indicates that inequality in sanitation coverage is also high. All states have reached close to SDG-6 achievement in hygiene indicators. Goa, Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep are close to the overall WASH coverage achievements of SDG-6. However, Jharkhand, Orissa, Tripura, Assam, and Rajasthan are behind in meeting the goal of SDG-6.
The study suggests that more government initiatives and investments are needed to increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of WASH facilities to improve WASH conditions in western and northeastern Indian districts. The localization or bottom-up approach by giving responsibility to rural and urban local bodies can also help enforce the achievement of SDG-6. The findings of this study can be used to guide policymakers in developing targeted interventions to improve WASH conditions and reduce inequality in India.
获得负担得起且条件更好的水、环境卫生和个人卫生（WASH）设施对人们的日常生活至关重要，这也是可持续发展目标6（SDG - 6）的首要目标。然而，对包括印度在内的许多国家而言，实现这一目标是一项重大挑战。本研究的目的是评估印度各邦、地区和联邦属地在实现SDG - 6目标方面取得的进展，并通过衡量印度WASH覆盖的空间不平等来识别聚类。
本研究的主要目的是衡量印度各邦、地区和联邦属地在实现WASH设施的SDG - 6目标方面取得的进展。为实现这一目标，该研究使用了2019年至2021年进行的第五轮全国家庭健康调查（NFHS - 5）的家庭数据。
该研究使用了NFHS - 5的家庭数据，这是一项具有全国代表性的调查，提供了与健康和营养相关的家庭及个人层面特征的信息。该研究确定了与WASH相关的变量，并创建了一个综合指数来分别和综合衡量WASH覆盖情况。该研究使用基尼系数来显示WASH不平等情况，并使用莫兰统计量来显示空间依赖性。
该研究发现，印度各地区改善水覆盖源的不平等程度很高。西部和东北部地区在实现SDG - 6目标方面需要迎头赶上。基尼系数值（0.29）表明环境卫生覆盖方面的不平等程度也很高。所有邦在卫生指标方面已接近实现SDG - 6。果阿邦、锡金邦、安达曼和尼科巴群岛以及拉克沙群岛接近SDG - 6的整体WASH覆盖成就。然而，贾坎德邦、奥里萨邦、特里普拉邦、阿萨姆邦和拉贾斯坦邦在实现SDG - 6目标方面落后。
该研究表明，需要更多政府举措和投资来提高WASH设施的可用性、可及性和可负担性，以改善印度西部和东北部地区的WASH状况。通过赋予农村和城市地方机构责任的本地化或自下而上的方法也有助于实现SDG - 6。本研究的结果可用于指导政策制定者制定有针对性的干预措施，以改善印度的WASH状况并减少不平等。
