AN ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH AND SANITATION FACILITES IN VIZHINJAM COASTAL PANCHAYAT OF KERALA STATE BY USING GIS

Abstract

Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and faeces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The word 'sanitation' also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal. Lack of sanitation kills, it degrades health - especially that of children - and undermines education. It affects whole communities but consistently those most severely affected are the poor and disadvantaged. It is estimated that about 2.6 billion people lack sanitation worldwide. In Kerala, the prevalence of water and sanitation-related diseases are high, in the coastal belt and hilly regions of the state. The paper aims to analyse the lack of basic amenities, high population density and poor sanitation are the acute problem in the study area. As a social problem, Sanitation and water availability are crucially important to human health and well being, and their indispensable role as engine to the regional development. This study will attempt to analyze the sanitation status and the spatial distribution of available health facilities by using GIS.