Assessing health consequences of geographical disparities in environmental risk factors for women in India

Environmental risks associated with poor environmental sanitation affect the health of large populations in the developing world in general and vulnerable groups like women in significant ways. Several tropical diseases, like diarrhea, intestinal worm infections, trachoma, and stunting among children, have been linked to unsafe water, poor sanitation, and hygiene. Women, being the primary caregivers and also because they have specific sanitation needs, are more susceptible to health risks arising from poor sanitation. This study looked at how better sanitation facilities in India affected women's health and other related factors. It used national-level, large-sample survey data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–2021). Three major findings emerge from the study. First, the study finds a positive correlation between improved sanitation facilities and menstrual hygiene, maternal health, and women’s literacy and a negative correlation between improved sanitation facilities and anemia, early marriage, and fertility, indicating that improved sanitation could reduce several health-related risks among women. Second, the study looks at how access to better sanitation facilities varies significantly across India's states and union territories. It finds that women in some parts of the country are adversely affected more than others. Finally, the study suggests a need for more gender-disaggregated data on sanitation to ascertain causal linkages between environmental sanitation and its associated environmental risks for women's health.