Open defecation may lead to stunting for Pakistanis
Print Edition
More than 40 million people in Pakistan do not have access to a toilet, forcing them to defecate in the open, which in turn is a major contributor to stunting in the country, a top UNICEF official said.
鈥淭here are 41 million people who do not have access to a toilet in Pakistan and as a result they are defecating in the open. And open defecation has significant health and nutritional consequences,鈥 said Geeta Rao Gupta, deputy executive director at UNICEF.
鈥淥pen defecation is a major contributor to stunting and that鈥檚 why we鈥檝e got to do all we can to stop it,鈥 she said.
Pakistan is the third-largest country when it comes to people going to the bathroom in the open, behind India and Indonesia. The problem can spread disease and lead to intestinal infections, which can contribute to stunting in young children, she said.
Stunting means children don鈥檛 grow as tall as they would otherwise, and it can also affect a child鈥檚 brain development. Stunted children are more at risk of disease, don鈥檛 do as well in school and stunted mothers can also give birth to stunted children.
UNICEF is working with Pakistan government to improve sanitation by doing things like encouraging people to wash their hands more often.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
