Union Government launches Swachh Swasth Sarvatra initiative

J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Human Resource Development, on 29 December 2016 launched Swachh Swasth Sarvatra in New Delhi.

The programme was launched to commemorate Good Governance Day. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to achieve better health outcomes through improved sanitation and increased awareness and healthy lifestyles.

Key highlights of Swachh Swasth Sarvatra

• The Swachh Swasth Sarvatra is a part of the Union Government’s flagship Swachh Bharat Mission.

• The initiative is focused on the twin objectives of constructing toilets and enabling behavioural change along with achieving open defecation-free India by 2019.

• The initiative incorporates three components. They are:

-Community Health Centres (CHCs) in Open Defecation Free (ODF) blocks supported to achieve Kayakalp certification
-Gram Panchayat of Kayakalp Primary Health Centres (PHCs) prioritized to become ODF
-Training in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) of CHC/PHC nominees

• Under the programme, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will provide a grant of Rs. 10 lakhs to the Community Health Centre to ensure that the facility achieves the quality benchmarks for sanitation, hygiene and infection control with a minimum score of 70 under the Kayakalp assessment.  

• The initiative also targets improvement in sanitation practices of the community to complement the high level of sanitation and hygiene in the health care facility. This will eventually reduce the disease burden related to water borne diseases.  

• Apart from launching the Swachh Swasth Sarvatra initiative, J P Nadda and Prakash Javadekar also released the Operational Guidelines of Swachh Swasth Sarvatra along with the Swasth Bacche Swasth Bharat booklet. The Swasth Bacche Swasth Bharat booklet is prepared by the Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB). It aims at educating the children and youth about healthy living habits and activities.