South Kalimantan's 13 regional heads invited to campaign stop open defecation

Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - The Provincial Government of South Kalimantan invited regional heads in 13 districts and cities to campaign stop open defecation (SBS) and create an environmentally healthy sanitation for citizens.

Expert Staff for Social Affairs and Human Resources of South Kalimantan Governor Husnul Hatimah here on Tuesday said that SBS program needs dialogue and shared commitment.

In addition, he said, 13 mayors and regents are also called on to increase supervision of dringking water for the community.

This is in line with President Regulation Number 18 of 2020 concerning the 2020-2024 National Medium Term Development Plan, to demonstrate the government's strong commitment to improve comunity access to dringking water and adequate sanitation.

“Providing proper sanitation is a long term investment for the welfare of the people,” Husnul pointed out.

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Providing proper community access to sanitation facilities can prevent the spread of disease, increase productivity, quality of life, and encourage regional economic growth, he expounded.

Sanitation problems, especially open defecation habits, according to him, are complex challanges that require comprehensive solution. Thus the government is trying to improve people access to adequate sanitation through various programs.

He said the regional government is working to improve the quality of life of the community, preventing water-based disease, and supporting the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), which targets clean water and sanitation access for all.

He explained about the improtance of the implementation of the Community-Based Total Sanitation (STBM) as a sensitive intervention service. The government is encouraging massive implementation of STBM through Presidential Regulation No.72 of 2021 to accelerate stunting reduction and to achieve the target of 90 percent villages/urban villages open defecation free (ODF) by 2024.

The latest data shows there are still 688 villages/urban villages have not succeeded in stopping open defecation or the overall achievement of SBS program is 65.74 percent.

"This forum is expected to be a starting point for everyone to commit to increase access to adequate sanitation for the sake of public health,” said Husnul.

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