VoxDev Development Economics S6 Ep18: Improving sanitation: What works and what doesn’t
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May 8, 2025 In this insightful discussion, Karen Macours, a Professor at the Paris School of Economics and co-chair of J-PAL's Health Sector, dives into the global sanitation crisis. She highlights the urgent need to end open defecation and the health risks tied to inadequate sanitation. Karen explores the effectiveness of different sanitation policies, emphasizing community-led initiatives and the surprising benefits of subsidies over loans. She also tackles the complexities of measuring health improvements linked to better sanitation, calling for innovative strategies to ensure lasting change.
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Global Sanitation Crisis
- Around 400 million people defecate in the open worldwide, with another 500 million having inappropriate sanitation facilities.
- Close to a billion people face serious sanitation concerns impacting public health.
How Sanitation-Related Diseases Spread
- Disease spreads through direct human contact with feces or contaminated water.
- This causes infections like parasites, hookworm, roundworm, and diarrheal diseases such as cholera.
Sanitation's Impact on Child Development
- Poor sanitation affects children's nutritional status by reducing food intake and nutrient absorption.
- This impacts children's growth height and cognitive brain development critically in early years.