Executive Director of NGO Forum Mr. S. M. A. Rashid described that diarrhoea is a direct consequence of using unsafe water, unsanitary practices and lack of personal hygiene behaviour. It has a long-term effect which affects the poor most. Reduced workability and income as well as the medical expenses for treatment lead the poor groups towards a permanent cycle that finally affects the economy of the country. But only the use of safe water, hygienic sanitation and maintenance of hygiene habit can contribute to make this situation reversed.

A key-note paper was presented by Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman, Professor of Civil Engineering & Director, ITN-BUET. In his key-note paper he stated that the main objective of the International Year of Sanitation is to put the global community on track to achieve the sanitation Millennium Development Goal. Increased sanitation access especially for poor people, is fundamental for reaching all MDGs.

While mentioning the objective of the National Hand Washing Campaign Dr. Mujibur Rahman said that improved hygiene practices are of paramount importance in securing total health impact of safe water and sanitation. Hand washing is proven to be effective in reducing diarrhoeal and other disease incidences. He added that sanitation contributes to dignity and social development. It enhances dignity, privacy and safety, especially for women and girls. It improves convenience and social status. Sanitation in schools enables children, especially girls reaching puberty, to remain in the educational system.

Describing sanitation as vital for human health Dr. Mujibur Rahman said that improved sanitation reduces cholera, worm infections, diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition that cause disease and death in millions of people. Today 2.6 billion people, including almost one billion children, live without basic sanitation. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation. That's 1.5 million preventable deaths each year.

Dr. Mujibur Rahman suggested some of the approaches to overcome the constraints in achieving the MDG in relation to sanitation. The suggested approaches are - sustained political commitment for continual improvement of the sanitation situation; greater emphasis on education and awareness raising; increase of public and private sector investment with greater attention to the poor; increase of overseas development assistance significantly focusing on nation-wide programmes of education, awareness raising, mass media campaign, research and development, and local capacity building; and strengthening public, private, community and civil society partnership for sustained development.