Page 42 - Mann Ki Baat - English

2019. Estimates suggest that SBM
averted over 300,000 deaths
related to diarrhoeal diseases
and malnutrition between
2014 and 2019, by enabling
improved sanitation coverage
and promotion of safe hygiene
practices. A recent analysis of
infant and under five mortality
data across 640 districts
showed that SBM may have
averted approximately 60,000-
70,000 infant deaths annually.
These results would make SBM
one of the most important
public health interventions in
modern India.
Beyond the toilets built and
lives saved, SBM’s legacy lies in
the cultural shift it has sparked.
Traditionally, sanitation was
a topic shrouded in stigma—
not openly discussed in
households or communities.
SBM changed this narrative by
turning cleanliness into a public
discussion topic and a collective
responsibility. It fostered a ‘Jan
Andolan’ where the entire nation,
from schoolchildren to village
elders, from business leaders to
celebrities, came together with a
singular vision. This behavioural
change was perhaps more

38
38