Abstract
High rates of malnutrition and lost productivity are caused by poor sanitation, which also negatively affects health. According to estimates from the World Bank, India's poor sanitation contributes to a disease burden that costs the nation around 6% of its GDP. Children are more impacted than adults because infections are spreading so quickly that it limits their capacity to absorb nutrition, wh ich stunts their growth. India has historically neglected public health services, which contributes to this unsanitary atmosphere. An abnormally high illness burden is the consequence of a highly populous nation without an efficient public health network. In India, around 48% of children are undernourished to some extent. As per UNICEF, respiratory infections and diarrheal illnesses spread by
water are the leading cause of death for children in India. Children who experience regular bouts of diarrhoea are more susceptible to opportunistic illnesses including pneumonia and malnourishment. A very high danger of microbiological contamination (bacteria, viruses, amoeba) of water, which causes diarrhoea in children, exists since 638 million people defecate in the open and 44% of mothers dispose of their children's waste in the open. Additionally, two serious health issues that afflict schoolchildren and have an influence on their learning capacities are worm infections and diarrhoea.
Keywords: Malnutrition, Productivity, Sanitation, Unhygienic environment, bacteria and viruses
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