Celebrating National Nutrition Week with Patrika and Nourishing Schools Foundation- Day 5

14 September 2021

The topic for the fifth day of the National Nutrition Week campaign held by Patrika Group and Nourishing Schools Foundation was ‘Water, Hygiene, Sanitation and Nutrition’. Drinking unclean water, following poor personal hygiene and using inadequate sanitation facilities can increase the risk of illnesses such as diarrhoea. Those who are malnourished are more vulnerable to diarrhoea, and each diarrhoea episode can worsen malnutrition. It creates a vicious cycle. Diarrhoea is a leading cause of malnutrition in children under five years old. Therefore, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are essential for being healthy and well-nourished

Learning the right technique for washing hands

Adopting the right hygiene habits

According to WHO, better water, sanitation, and hygiene could prevent the deaths of 297,000 children aged under five years each year globally.

In addition to reducing the risk of diarrhoea, improving sanitation has many benefits such as:

  • Reducing the spread of intestinal worms
  • Reducing the severity and impact of malnutrition
  • Promoting school attendance. Attendance of girls in schools has particularly been boosted by the provision of separate sanitary facilities

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