UNICEF is training more than 1,000 community hygiene promoters across Bangladesh to encourage people to adopt safer hygiene practices. The programme is supported through the Sanitation, Hygiene Education and Water Supply Bangladesh Project, which is funded by the UK Department for International Development. It aims to reach 30 million people over the next four years.

The hygiene promoters attend a 15-day training seminar, after which they return to their communities. Athoi Marma, 19, is one of 25 women in the inaccessible Chittagong Hill Tracts region who has been trained as a hygiene promoter. After completing her training she called a meeting of her community to tell people how they could improve their hygiene practices, for example by stopping open defecation. When people were not convinced, Athoi visited each household individually. After two months her efforts paid off and the community developed a plan of action to promote basic hygiene practices.

Athoi also focused on children, especially pre-school pupils. "My responsibility is to change the habits of our community," she said. "Children and young people are open to new ideas and changes. It is more difficult for adults to modify their habits."

Related news: Health impact: 20 to 50 per cent of children and hard core poor defecate in the open, Bangladesh survey shows, Source Weekly, 12 June 2008

Web site:UNICEF Bangladesh WES

Contact: UNICEF Bangladesh, dhaka@unicef.org

Source: Arifa S. Sharmin, UNICEF, 31 July 2008

Tags: hygiene promotion, south asia