India’s initiative focused on building toilets has potentially saved up to 70,000 infant lives annually, a recent study published in the British journal 'Nature' has revealed, in a testament to the impact of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).

Lauding the observations, the report was shared by the Prime Minister on Thursday stating that access to proper toilets plays a crucial role in reducing infant and child mortality.

The Mission is a country-wide campaign initiated by the Central Government on October 2, 2014, to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management.

In a social media X, the Prime Minister posted saying that improved sanitation has become a “game-changer” for public health in India. “Happy to see research highlighting the impact of efforts like the Swachh Bharat Mission. Access to proper toilets plays a crucial role in reducing infant and child mortality,” Modi said.

“Clean, safe sanitation has become a game-changer for public health. And, I am glad India has taken the lead in this,” he added.

The report “Toilet construction under the Swachh Bharat Mission and infant mortality in India”,  said toilet construction increased dramatically across India following the implementation of the SBM in 2014 adding that the post-mission period in India exhibited accelerated reductions in infant and child mortality compared to the pre-SBM years.

Researchers had analysed infant and under-5 mortality data from 35 states in 640 districts and came to the conclusion that  “based on regression estimates, the provision of toilets at scale may have contributed to averting approximately 60,000 to 70,000 infant deaths annually.”

It added that the implementation of transformative sanitation programmes can deliver population health benefits in low and middle-income countries. This significant impact underscores the crucial role of improved sanitation in reducing infant and child mortality rates, highlighting the success of the program.

The research delves into data spanning two decades, uncovering a significant link between improved sanitation and reduced child mortality.

By examining changes in toilet access across the states, the study demonstrates how each 10-percentage-point increase in district-level sanitation correlates with marked declines in both infant and under-5 death rates, highlighting the mission's crucial role in advancing public health and saving lives.