[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 102 (Thursday, June 19, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




H. CON. RES. 318, SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
                           YEAR OF SANITATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 2008

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H. Con. Res. 318, a resolution to support the goals and 
ideals of the International Year of Sanitation and to help raise 
awareness of the importance of sanitation and safe drinking water.
  This resolution recognizes the importance of sanitation on public 
health, poverty reduction, economic and social development, and the 
environment. In 2000, the United States and other world leaders 
committed themselves to combat poverty, hunger, and disease through the 
Millennium Development Goals (MDG). One target is to halve the number 
of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 
2015.
  Today more than 1 billion people live without safe drinking water and 
an estimated 2.6 billion people worldwide go without proper sanitation. 
This lack of access contributes to the deaths of an estimated 1.5 
million children each year. Clean water and sanitation are necessary to 
fight disease and reduce child and maternal mortality. Without it, more 
children will be sick, more children will forgo schooling, and more 
will lose their lives to disease.
  The absence of basic water and sanitation services is particularly 
difficult for girls. In communities that lack these services, young 
girls often bear the burden of water collection leaving them little 
time or energy for school. Those who do make it to school find that 
only half all the world's schools have access to clean drinking water 
and adequate sanitation--estimates show half the girls in Sub-Saharan 
Africa who drop out of primary school do so because of poor water and 
sanitation facilities. That is why investments in clean water and 
sanitation are essential to achieving universal education. A school 
sanitation program in Bangladesh helped increase the number of girls 
enrolling by 11 percent.
  Expanding access to clean water and basic sanitation is one of our 
best strategies for improving the health and prosperity of entire 
communities and it is a necessary step toward achieving all of the 
MDGs. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution and 
to renew their commitment to improving access to safe drinking water 
and basic sanitation to help people live more productive and healthy 
lives.

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