Sanitation and hygiene advocacy and communication strategy framework 2012-2017
More people practice open defecation in India than anywhere in the world – more than 600 million individuals. Although access to improved sanitation is steadily increasing in India since the year 2000 the pace of change is too slow. If the current trend continues, India will miss the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for sanitation, and without India the world will not be able to achieve its targets. Clearly accelerating access to and use of toilets and hygiene practices have become a national priority for India. To accelerate the process the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) along with UNICEF and other partners have developed the National Sanitation and Hygiene Advocacy and Communication Strategy Framework for 2012-2017. The overall goal is to make sure that people have access to, and use a toilet and practice good hygiene, including handwashing with soap after the toilet and before food. The strategy focuses on increasing knowledge and perceived importance of sanitation and hygiene practices, with the long term objective of changing the way society thinks so that open defecation is no longer acceptable in India.