“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” - Benjamin Franklin

Did you know?

The specific SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) target that we have chosen is 3.3, fight communicable diseases. More specifically, we are focusing on WASH diseases. (Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene) WASH-related illnesses like pneumonia and dysentery account for 10% to 12% of all mortalities under 5 years old. Additionally, about 829,000 deaths occur globally each year, with nearly 60% attributed to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). 15% of rural areas in Vietnam do not have access to basic sanitation (soap and clean water). However, access to sanitation is not the main issue. Lack of information regarding proper sanitation practices is a big issue in rural areas of Vietnam. A reported 85% of people living in rural areas do not wash their hands at key moments. An institution working to reduce this human development barrier is the VPHA (Vietnam Public Health Association), which has successfully created a network across 12 provinces and has over 6000 members. One way VPHA is contributing to the health landscape is with their magazine, Vietnam Journal of Public Health, which has international recognition and has been rated on Medline. They also create public health practice models. However, it is challenged by things like human resources. The problem of health can be complex, as there are many diseases of various strengths, such as WASH diseases, like dysentery, cholera, and typhoid.