Latrines and Health Problems

 Written by: Muahmmad Arif Rahimi

Most of the people who have money, they build modern houses and toilets, but many Afghans due to financial problems, they build mud houses and some of them make their latrines (pit toilets) close to their living rooms and these latrines might face them some health problems.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people about this issue.

Assadullah, a resident of Nooristan province says, “Most houses in our area have primitive toilets and they have built them near to their living rooms and the hole of them are in the lane. These pit toilets cause different diseases like diarrhea, nausea and other diseases for the residents of the area.”

Shila, a resident of Kabul city says, “When was constructing our house, my father and brother built the toilet near the entrance door and when they built the house, the gate was very small and no car could be entered the yard so that they destroyed the first pit toilet and built a new one near to our living room. The bad smell of the latrine bothers us in the room and once I was suffering from nausea.”

Doctor Suhail, an internist at one of the hospitals in Kabul city talks about this issue, “If someone builds pit latrines near to living room, they cause different health problems like diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pains, nausea, headaches, amoeba, malaria, giardiasis and other diseases.”

What do some people think about the causes these diseases?

Assadullah says, “In the hot weather, the smell comes from the tip toilet. They might transmit different diseases to the healthy residents of the nearby houses.”

Sifatullah Wardak says, “Insects and flies sit on the feces and when then they sit on foods, fruits and other edibles in homes, and when someone eats these foods, he/she might infect with the mentioned viruses and becomes ill.”

Doctor Suhail says, “Human being, wind, flies and other insect have a special role in the transferring of virus found in feces to human body and cause them different diseases. Some children who do not their hands after going the toilet, might transfer microbes to themselves and other members of the home.”

What do people think about the best pit toilets?
Asrar, a resident of Laghman province says, “When we were building our house, we built the latrine about 30 meters away from our living rooms. We have taught our children to sit in the correct way in the latrine and prevent them to poop on the ground of the toilet and also we have told them to wash their hands after going to the toilet.”

Doctor Suhail says, “Local toilets should be at least 6-12 meters away from living rooms; the latrine should have door; exhaust fan and they should cover the feces with ash or lime that kills microbes. The ceiling of the latrines should be covered with a simple cloth and the ground of the latrine should be concreted and washed once a day or at least three times a week.”