🚰 Sanitation: The Hidden Key to Health and Economic GrowthImproved sanitation is one of the most powerful yet underestimated drivers of public health and economic development. Although the global community committed to halving the proportion of people without access to clean water and basic sanitation by 2015 under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), progress especially in sanitation has been slow (WHO & UNICEF, 2010).Today, 2.6 billion people still lack improved sanitation, with the majority living in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (WHO & UNICEF, 2010). Poor sanitation contributes to 10% of the global disease burden, fueling diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections, and parasitic illnesses. About 1.7 million people mostly children under 5 die every year from diarrhoea, and 88% of these cases are linked to unsafe water, poor sanitation, and inadequate hygiene (WHO, 2004).The economic toll is enormous. Poor sanitation costs countries billions through healthcare spending, reduced productivity, polluted water resources, environmental damage, and tourism losses. For example, Cambodia loses US$448 million, Indonesia US$6.3 billion, and India US$53.8 billion annually due to inadequate sanitation (Hutton et al., 2008; World Bank, 2010)Yet sanitation is one of the best-value investments a country can make. Research shows that every US$1 invested yields between US$9.1 and US$11.2 in economic returns, thanks to improved health, productivity, and time savings (Hutton & Haller, 2007). The per-person cost of meeting sanitation targets—about US$28—is achievable for most developing nations (Hutton et al., 2008).Beyond economic gains, improved sanitation promotes gender equality, enhances school attendance, protects water resources, and strengthens environmental sustainability.Sanitation is not just a health necessity it is a cornerstone of national development. Investing in sanitation today builds healthier communities and stronger economies tomorrow.