Poor sanitation acts as a break on economic growth in East Asia

Last Updated: Friday, 30 November 2007, 09:11 GMT
E Asia confronts poor sanitation
By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo

Poor sanitation acts as a break on economic growth in East Asia
Ministers and top officials from 14 East Asian countries have begun a
meeting in Japan to discuss problems of poor sanitation.

The organisers say almost half the population in the region lacks
access to adequate sanitation.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people die as a result.

Poor sanitation helps spread diseases that kill people. The WHO says
almost 200,000 people die each year from diseases related to
diarrhoea.

Money and education

This gathering of ministers and officials from across East Asia is the
highest-level gathering of its kind to be held in the region.

Barbara Evans, a civil engineer who specialises in development issues,
says the organisers want to make clear that what is needed is not just
new facilities.

"Governments need to spend money on campaigns to change people's
behaviour too. That is much harder," she says.

Most of East Asia is enjoying steady economic growth.

Some of the poorest countries are producing the most impressive
gains.

Yet hundreds of millions of the people who live in the region do not
have access to a toilet.

A recent study by the World Bank found that poor sanitation acted as a
drag on economic growth.

Problems with sanitation and hygiene in Cambodia, Indonesia the
Philippines and Vietnam incurred collective losses of around $9bn
(£4.36bn) a year, it said.

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