EDITORIAL - Basic necessities

In the age of the Internet and space exploration, an estimated 26 million Filipinos have no access to sanitary toilets, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. That’s nearly 30 percent of the population, with the number increasing over the years, according to records of a joint monitoring group of the UNICEF and the World Health Organization.

Like inadequate access to clean water, the lack of sanitary toilets can lead to many illnesses, some of which are potentially fatal especially to children. Health officials have warned that lack of access to sanitary toilets can lead to diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, parasitic worms and infections. With inadequate sanitary facilities, children can suffer from malnutrition, poor mental development and stunting, the officials said.

Health professionals have pointed out that mere hand washing with soap can go a long way in promoting public health. Yet millions of Filipinos still lack access to safe water for regular hand washing. Even public schools have inadequate water and toilet facilities, putting the health of school children at risk. In coastal communities, outbreaks of cholera have been blamed on the lack of sanitary toilets.

UNICEF officials noted that the number of Filipinos defecating in the open jumped by 12 percent in the decade since 1998, to 7.4 million, mainly from the poorest 20 percent of the population. Most of them are from rural areas, where households still draw water from artesian wells.

The numbers reported by UNICEF and the WHO should serve as a challenge to the Aquino administration to boost development in the countryside. Safe water, sanitary toilets and related facilities are basic necessities that must be enjoyed by every Filipino.