About every two Bhutanese children in every 10, under five years of age, are stunted. A recent survey report by Ministry of Health states poor sanitation is one of the factors leading to stunting.
Stunting is more prevalent in rural areas and eastern Bhutan. Stunting is a growth deficiency caused by insufficient nutritional food, poor sanitation and disease prevalence.
“If there is poor sanitation in the house and surrounding area, there are chances of a child getting infected,” said the Director of Department of Public Health under health ministry, Dr. Pandup Tshering.
Some of the infectious diseases that a child is prone to in such situation are diarrhoea, repeated diet infections, and skin infections.
“If child is repeatedly sick, it can cause malnutrition, the relation between poor sanitation and stunting, which is a type of chronic malnutrition.”
Ministry of Health has started constructing toilets and advocating on impacts of poor sanitation. However, the officials say it is parents’ responsibility to take care of the environment in which their children live.
