Children: a vital component for achieving total sanitation and associated benefits (Bangladesh case study)

While the impact of poor sanitation is often measured by the effects on children, most sanitation\ninterventions target adults. Global monitoring of sanitation coverage against the Millennium\nDevelopment Goals (MDGs) generally also overlooks sanitation among young children. In Bangladesh,\nthe faeces of only 22% of children under age three were disposed of safely in 2006, and children in more\nmarginalized households were least likely to have their faeces safely disposed of. Even in households\nwith improved sanitation, 22% of children’s faeces were reported to be left in the open. These inequities\nare emblematic of trends seen in developing countries worldwide. This paper provides a policy and\nprogramming-relevant overview of child sanitation in Bangladesh, a country with relatively more\ninterventions focused on increasing demand, improving supply, and creating an enabling environment for\nthe safe disposal of child faeces.