Sanitation

Sanitation comprises practices and infrastructure for safely managing human waste and maintaining hygienic conditions. It limits exposure to pathogens and helps prevent disease.

Fecal–oral route: A pathway by which pathogens in feces reach another person’s mouth through water, food, hands, or surfaces. Sanitation interrupts this route by separating feces from people and their surroundings.
Sewerage: A network of pipes and facilities that collects and conveys sewage for treatment or disposal. It is the principal centralized infrastructure for sanitation in many cities.
Cholera: An acute intestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae, often spread through contaminated water or food. Unsafe disposal of feces can contaminate water and enable cholera transmission.
Hygiene: Practices that maintain health and cleanliness, including handwashing, food safety, and personal care. Hygiene overlaps with sanitation but focuses more directly on behaviors and cleanliness.
Wastewater treatment: Processes that remove contaminants from used water before it is released or reused. It reduces pathogens and pollutants in sewage collected by sanitation systems.
Ecological sanitation: Approaches that safely manage excreta while recovering nutrients and other useful resources. It treats human waste as a resource rather than only a disposal problem.
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis: Infections caused by parasitic worms whose eggs or larvae develop in soil contaminated with human feces. Sanitation prevents fecal contamination that sustains these infections.
Drinking water supply: The systems and services that provide water intended for human consumption. Water supply and sanitation are distinct services that must work together to protect health.
Sewage: Wastewater containing human excreta and other domestic or industrial wastes. Safe collection and treatment of sewage are central tasks of urban sanitation.
Community-led total sanitation: A community-driven approach that mobilizes collective action to end open defecation. It addresses sanitation behavior and shared norms alongside household facilities.

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