NGO Forum's Advocacy Campaign on ‘Promotion of Total Sanitation’

Since 2003, the Government, LGIs, NGOs and different stakeholders have been giving their efforts to improve the sanitation situation of the country and achieved a remarkable physical progress in connection with the latrine coverage. But reaching the halfway mark under the Sanitation Campaign the overall observation is that a number of issues are demanding immediate attention on way to ensuring ‘Total Sanitation’ all over the country.
At present 82 percent sanitation coverage is claimed in Bangladesh but in reality the figure stands 42. The people at community level yet lack knowledge on proper sanitation. They need to be motivated on proper use of hygienic sanitation.
Considering the real field situation as the apex networking body in the WatSan sector NGO Forum feels to draw attention of all concerned to create a social mobilization in regard to ensuring Total Sanitation. Hence, the Forum has launched an Advocacy Campaign on ‘Promotion of Total Sanitation’ throughout the country. As a part of its Advocacy Campaign, with the goal to assess and review the present status of sanitation coverage and to identify the strategic issues to combat the existing challenges of ensuring Total Sanitation NGO Forum for Drinking Water Supply & Sanitation and ITN-BUET jointly organized a series of Divisional Consultations and a National Symposium on ‘Promotion of Total Sanitation’. The Divisional Consultations were organized during 22-30 May 2007 at divisional level, while the Symposium was held in Dhaka on 15 June 2007.
LGRD Advisor Md. Anwarul Iqbal was present as the Chief Guest in the Symposium and delivered his valued address in the Symposium.

The govt. high officials, UN-representatives, NGO representatives, local government representatives, community allies like teachers, students, religious leaders, media representatives, beneficiaries and other bodies of the civil society took part as participants in the Divisional Consultations and Symposium.

Fitter Mosquitoes May Help Fight Malaria

Could breeding mosquitoes that are themselves resistant to malaria be the answer to eradicating the disease among humans? Having discovered a gene that can protect the insects against malaria carrying parasites, scientists are attempting to establish the malaria resistant mosquitoes in the wild. But the genes will spread only if they confer higher fitness on the mosquitoes than is found in the natural population. And researchers at John Hopkins University have recently presented evidence that the resistant gene does indeed spread to 70% of the mosquito population in laboratory experiments, thus proving that the protective gene has a clear evolutionary advantage, However, the question remains whether the experiment can be successfully replicated in the wild. And, there are more pressing concerns as to the ethical and ecological consequences of releasing genetically modified organisms into the wild on a scale such as would be required to eradicate malaria completely.

The Bangladesh Observer, 2 July 2007

Climate Change Wreaks Havoc on Asian Water Resources

Asia is expected to face a serious shortage of fresh water due to climate change, with more than one billion people forecast to be hit by the crisis, a US State Department report warned. Melting glaciers in the Himalayas — which contain the largest store of water outside the polar ice caps,

and feed seven great Asian rivers—may lead to increased flooding in the short term and reduced water supply in the long term, the report said.
“Reduced freshwater availability in Asia could affect more than one billion people by the mid-century,” said the department's annual report on safe water and sanitation strategy in developing countries.
The report to the US Congress added that “increased floods and changes in coastal water temperatures could result in greater morbidity and mortality due to diarrhoeal diseases.”
Globally, the report said, by 2020, 75-250 million people are expected to be under increased ‘water stress’ due to long-term climate shifts and population growth.

The Independent, 25 July 2007

Experts Create Cholera Vaccine Using Rice Protein

Japanese scientists have engineered an oral cholera vaccine encased in rice protein that has proved to be effective in mice, raising hopes it will offer humans better protection against the disease.
The vaccine in capsule form gives it an advantage over other oral cholera vaccines, the scientists said.
One advantage is refrigeration is no longer required, and it's more friendly (and safe) without the use of needles, said scientists.
Rice protein is also stable in an acidic environment and can withstand digestion in the stomach. This ensures the vaccine is delivered into the intestine where it is needed to trigger an immune response to fight cholera bacteria.
Currently there are oral and injectable vaccines but most of them require refrigeration, which is prohibitively expensive in the places that need the vaccine most.

The Daily Star, 15 July 2007

July 2007

August 2007