School Toilets and Diseases

  Written by: Waheeda Sabir

Many students learn in a school and they need proper sanitation facilities (toilets and latrines) in the school. If the toilets and latrines are not clean, the students might face some crucial health problems.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some students and a physician about this issue.

Sideeqa, a resident of Kalakan district, Kabul province says: “due to the absence of adequate sanitation in our school toilets, I always suffer from diarrhea and stomach pain. When the doctor visited me, he said that I have worms."

Khalida, a resident of Ahmad Shahbaba Mena says: “our school toilets are so infected with feces that I face nausea and vomiting and sometimes and I suffer from stomach ache.”

Doctor Abdul Majeed Ibrahimi, an internist in Indira Gandhi children’s Hospital, Kabul city says: “as a large number of students are in schools, if the toilets are not clean, some students might suffer from different varieties of diseases like diarrhea, nausea, cholera, giardia, jaundices, and tuberculosis.”

What do people think about the causes of transferring diseases to the students?

Aseel, a resident of Paghman district, Kabul province says: “our school toilets are not clean. If a student touches the wall of the toilet, she/he might take her/his hand into her/his mouth she/he might suffer from a disease or if she/he brings out the particles of feces outside the toilet with her/his shoes, it might cause the illness of other students too.”

Sideeqa says: “the bad smell of toilet causes me headache, nausea, and vomiting.”

Doctor Ibrahimi says: “if a student infected with bacteria doesn't wash her/his hands after using the bathroom, the bacteria could then be transferred into food, water or into the air and could cause other people to be infected with different diseases.”

How could student keep the toilets clean?

Muslima, a student of Al-Taqwa girls’ school, Paghman district says: “we have local latrines in our school. When I go to the toilet, I try to sit on the toilet in a proper position and keep the toilet clean.”

Yameen, a resident of Bamiyan province says: “I go to the toilet, I use water after going to  the toilet and if I found the toilet dirty, I inform the school administration.”

Saifora, the principal of Bibi Hawa Girls’ high school, Jalalabad city, Nangarhar province says: “we have a health committee and the committee for discipline. The job of these two committees are to control the cleanliness of the students; classrooms and toilets of the school. we have hired a cleaner to take care of the toilets in the school. We have prepared toilet cleaning acid and toilet washing liquid with the assistance of the students’ families. About 6000 students are studying in three different times in this school and we have also prepared soap for hand washing after going to the toilet.”