Intervida alerts us to the unhealthy living conditions of more than 1 billion people around the world
Madrid (11/07/2008). According to demographic forecasts, by 2050 the world population will reach 9.3 billion people, which means that in less than 50 years it will be necessary to build another world like existed in 1987, when there were 5 billion people, in order to guarantee minimal living conditions. Many of these people live poorly in slums and illegal settlements; that is, without water, sanitation, transportation, electricity or basic social services. For this reason, in celebration of World Population Day, INTERVIDA aims to raise awareness of the unhealthy conditions in which millions of people around the world live.
According to UN-Habitat, a ‘slum dwelling’ is constituted by a group of people living under the same roof without one or more of the following elements: permanent residence, sufficient living space, sanitary installations and security in tenure. IN urban areas alone some 1 billion people live in slums, which translates to one in every three urban inhabitants and one-sixth of the world population. If we add to this figure those living in rural settlements without basic necessities, the importance of this problem becomes evident. In fact, according to data from the United Nations, by the year 2020, 1.4 billion people will live in precarious settlements.
The precarious settlements lack basic sanitation systems and drinking water, as well as ventilation, and register high levels of contamination. All this, compounded by an inadequate diet, reduces inhabitants’ resistance to disease and increases health risks, thus contributing to high morbidity and mortality levels, especially among children under five years old, due to intestinal and respiratory tract illnesses.
The right of children and adolescents to a healthy environment implies access to basic quality water and sanitation services, and an environment which protects health and fully stimulates the development of capacities. This healthy environment is an integral concept which regards the home, the school and the community as key spaces where an important part of childhood and adolescence takes place, and where life skills and values are acquired.
To achieve this context, it is important to have the minimal infrastructures which allow access to these services. However, these infrastructures are not enough; rather it is essential that the populations have training in aspects of preventive health and that they are aware of the importance of the relevance of hygiene habits and other aspects for improving their health.
With this aim, the INTERVIDA teams work in the communities where they are active, implementing projects which aim to promote proper hygiene practices, a factor which combined with access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation systems constitute a fundamental basis for reducing morbidity and mortality rates.
These projects are developed in three basic contexts: the school, the family and the community. As such, in the school context, the organization works with the students, as well as the teachers, to promote healthy habits. In addition to improving the situation in the schools, this effort intends for the children to transfer the healthy hygiene habits learned in school to their home environments, so that the preventive aspects are also spread to their families.
On the other hand, parents also receive raining to improve their sanitary conditions thanks to habits such as washing their hands before handling food, maintaining sanitation and water supply systems or methods for the proper elimination and disposal of garbage and excrements.
At the community level, efforts are also undertaken to create health committees which are responsible for training the communities on basic notions of preventive health which will allow them to improve the living conditions in their settlements.
Several studies by entities such as the Pan American Health Organization reveal that the number of deaths and disability caused by illnesses related to the environment can be reduced through social change and changes in behavior.
About INTERVIDA
FUNDACIÓN INTERVIDA is a nonpartisan, nondenominational and independent development NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Its objective is to contribute to sustainable human development towards improving the living conditions of the most disadvantaged communities. Currently, INTERVIDA is active in several countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, offering its support to nearly five million people.
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