Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, the vice president and secretary of state for Women's Affairs, yesterday, presided over the official launching of the International year of Sanitation, in The Gambia, which also marked the Global Hand Washing Day,  at a ceremony held at the Buffer Zone in Tallinding.

Organised by The Gambia government through the Department of State for Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, in conjunction with the UNICEF Country Office and other partners, the event brought together many Secretaries of State and National Assembly members as well as key stakeholders devoted to the cause of sanitation.

According to officials, the year 2008 was designated as the International Year of Sanitation by the United Nations General Assembly. Its objective is to raise awareness and accelerate progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to basic sanitation by 2015.

In her address, the vice president noted that improved sanitation is paramount to health.  According to her, the picture of sanitation in the 21st century portrays an image that must be improved upon.  She indicated that about 2 billion people do not have access to improved sanitation. She added that millions of children are paying the price dearly in terms of the loss of life and of valuable school days due to ill health caused by sanitation related diseases, which are preventable.

"Poor sanitation is also a poverty trap for low-income families, and as we grapple with the enormity of tackling poverty, we are again reminded that one of the many facets of the burden rests on the crux of sanitation and hygiene," she observed. It was because of this, she went on, that a collective voice of urgency to address the problem was echoed over the podium of the United Nations in New York.

Commenting on the Global Hand Washing Day, Dr Njie-Saidy noted that the crusade is fundamental to the health and survival of children, saying that the practice of hand washing with soap preoccupies the international hygiene agenda this year.

"Hand washing with soap is one of the most effective and less costly measures to prevent diarrhoea and pneumonia, which together are responsible for the majority of deaths in the sub-region including The Gambia," the Vice President revealed.

The Vice President expressed the government's untiring commitment to the cause of the International Year of Sanitation, Global Hand Washing Day and the Ethekwim Declaration on Sanitation.  She noted that the government is currently developing a national sanitation policy and action plan through private partnership.

According to Vice President Njie-Saidy, the 'Operation Clean the Nation' initiative, which was introduced and spearheaded by President Yahya Jammeh, and other national sanitation programmes are clear testimonies of the government's commitment and strong political will to ensure a clean environment.  The initiatives, according to her, have had a positive impact on the lives of the Gambian people.

Speaking earlier, Yankuba Touray, the secretary of state for Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, noted that the continuous provision of safe drinking water to rural communities is a very prerequisite for the government to attain the MDGs and Vision 2020.  He then added that access to safe water and improved sanitation is key to the overall survival and development of children.

The findings of the 2005/2006 multiple cluster indicator survey, according to the Fisheries and Water Resources secretary of state, indicate that 85.1% of the population of The Gambia have access to improved sanitary facilities.  He however stated that the outbreak of cholera in recent years can be attributed to inadequate hygiene practices, as well as lack of access to safe drinking water facilities.

SoS Touray then described the 2008 Declaration of the International Year of Sanitation as a step in the right direction, saying that it will go a long way in improving the health status of the country.

Speaking at the occasion, Ms MM Whee Kang, the UNICEF Country Representative, said that the consequences of poor sanitation are enormous as every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation.

Ms Kang indicated that apart from the health effects, poor sanitation also greatly affects education, noting that it is estimated that globally, 443 million school days are lost every year. 

Yankuba Colley, the mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council, also called for concerted efforts to address the issue of sanitation.

At the end of the occasion, the vice president demonstrated the importance of proper sanitation by washing her hands with soap.  In what could be described as a quick response to the call for private sector participation, Sankung Sillah and Sons Enterprises donated over 4,500 packets of soap to the initiative.