Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

This study investigates the environmental health outcomes of better access to safe and improved water and sanitation facilities using the Household Income and Expenditure Survey Dataset of Bangladesh. More specifically, it shows whether individuals living in rural areas with better access to improved water and sanitation facilities are less exposed to water, hygiene, and sanitation related diseases. A probit regression analysis is conducted to find out the marginal impact of access to safe water and sanitation. The marginal impact of the regression analysis reveals that access to improve sanitation facility significantly reduces the disease prevalence rate whereas access to safe water fails to show any significant effect. The impact of sanitation is more significant in lower income groups. Among other variables- education, gender, and dwelling features play a vital role in determining the probability. A significant regional variation is also prominent regarding both access to those facilities and environmental health outcomes.