As much as 20% of the Vietnam’s population is living in extremely unhygienic conditions that pose great threats to public health, as showed in a recent survey by the Ministry of Health (MoH). According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one in four Vietnamese people lives in an unhygienic environment, with the higher rate in rural areas due to low public awareness of the issue. Some fatal diseases are transmitted via the digestive system as people use water from unsanitary sources, said Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Deputy Health Minister. This leads to potential outbreaks of diarrhea, cholera, typhoid and hand-foot-mouth diseases at any time, which causes a higher death rate among the locals, especially children. Health agencies in rural areas are being blamed for lax practices and not tackling environment-related issues, particularly in providing adequate latrines, he said, adding that people’s low awareness of hygiene has worsened the matters. Many rural residents believed that standard restrooms are a luxury and not a necessity to human health and the living environment of the community, he noted. It is estimated that more than 20,000 Vietnamese die of water-borne diseases per year, half of the deaths are blamed on diarrhea, said health experts. By end-2015, Vietnam aims to raise the percentage of rural population with access to safe water to 85% from the current 80% and to provide 65% of rural households with standard toilets. (Sai Gon Giai Phong –People’s Army July 8)
