Fighting poor sanitation

W
ith all the scientific and technological progress around the world, how come poor sanitation still remains a mass child killer? And how can we save lives by learning a few lessons from the past - for example, from the 19th century Britain?

Join Dima and Jackie as they listen to and discuss an interview with the spokesman of a leading environmental charity.

This week's question:

Health problems caused by poor sanitation are killing many more children than HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria combined. If the world spent 10.8 billion dollars in 2004-2006 on HIV/Aids, how much do you think was spent in the same period on improving sanitation?

Listen to the programme
Fighting poor sanitation

a) $1.5bn
b) $15bn
c) $50bn

Listen out for the answer at the end of the programme!

Vocabulary from the programme
Show All | Hide All
sanitation
systems for taking dirty water and other waste products away from buildings in order to protect people's health
diarrhoea
when your body gets poisoned by unclean water or infected food, making your stomach upset so you need to go to the toilet really often; this can be a very serious health problem
to outweigh
to be greater or more important than something else
health care priorities
deciding which diseases or illnesses to fight first
lack of political will
here, governments show no desire to act
is driving this neglect
is the reason for not doing anything about the situation
shocking
extremely bad, very unpleasant
investment
putting money into something worthwhile
to bring about
to result in something, to be the impulse for something to happen
significant reductions in child mortality
the number of child deaths became a lot smaller

BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
Fighting poor sanitation
NB: This is not an accurate word-for-word transcript



6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2009
Page 1 of 4

Dima: Hi, welcome to this edition of 6 Minute English with me, Dima Kostenko. In
this programme:
With all the scientific and technological progress around the world, how come
poor sanitation still remains a mass child killer?
And - how we can save lives by learning a few lessons from the past - for
example, from the 19th
century Britain - according to a new report.

In the studio with me is Jackie Dalton - thanks for joining me Jackie.

Jackie: Responds

Dima: Let's start with today's key word - 'sanitation'. What does 'sanitation' actually
mean?

Jackie: Well, sanitation is a very broad term. We use it to mean systems for taking
dirty water and other waste products away from buildings in order to protect
people's health.

Dima: And 'diarrhoea'?

Jackie: That's not a very nice thing to have! It's when your body gets poisoned by
unclean water or infected food, making your stomach upset so you need to go
to the toilet really often, and it can be a very serious health problem.

Dima: On to the next word, the verb 'to outweigh'.

Jackie: This just means to be greater or more important than something else.

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2009
Page 2 of 4

Dima: OK, sanitation, diarrhoea and to outweigh. Jackie, do interrupt me if you hear
any other words you think might need explaining.
Well, as I said at the beginning, a new report has just been published - by the
charity WaterAid. The report says that the lives of millions of children are
being put at risk every year, because governments and aid agencies are making
the wrong choices about health care priorities.

Jackie: Health care priorities - that's deciding which diseases or illnesses to fight first.

Dima: Exactly. Now, according to the report, diarrhoea caused by poor sanitation is
killing many more children than HIV/Aids, TB and malaria combined. And
here comes my question for this week. If the world spent 10.8 billion dollars in
2004-2006 on HIV/Aids, how much do you think was spent in the same period
on improving sanitation? Was it

a) 1.5 billion
b) 15 billion or
c) 50 billion?

Jackie: Answers

Dima: We'll check your answer later but first let's hear from Oliver Cumming, the
author of the report. Oliver believes not enough is being done around the world
to improve sanitation - possibly, because politicians find it neither fashionable,
nor exciting. As you listen, see if you can catch some of today's other key
words and expressions. Over to you Jackie:

Jackie: We're going to hear 'lack of political will' - that is to say that governments
show no desire to act. Lack of political will 'is driving this neglect' - in other
words, is the reason for not doing anything about the situation. And 'shocking',
meaning extremely bad, very unpleasant.


6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2009
Page 3 of 4

Clip 1 0'15"
The only reason that we can see is this lack of political will which is driving this neglect. And
it's all the more shocking when you consider the role that investments in sanitation played
here in the developed world. If you take the example of the UK... (fade)

Jackie: Oliver says, there's only one reason for politicians to do very little about
improving sanitation: they just don't want to get involved! And that is bad - in
fact, so bad that the word Oliver uses is - 'shocking'. And something, he says,
makes it even more shocking. What is it? See if you can catch the answer as
you listen to Oliver again. Here is a clue for you: look out for a word that
means 'putting money into something worthwhile'.

Clip 1 0'15"
The only reason that we can see is this lack of political will which is driving this neglect. And
it's all the more shocking when you consider the role that investments in sanitation played
here in the developed world. If you take the example of the UK... (fade)

Jackie: The key word there was - 'investment'. Or, to put it in context, 'investments in
sanitation in the developed world'. Sounds like time has come for a history
lesson you promised at the beginning Dima?

Dima: That's right Jackie. In the next part of the interview Oliver Cumming says that
sadly, the experience of history is sometimes forgotten even in places where
sanitation should be a health care priority. Which country does he refer to as a
historical example? Let's listen:

Clip 2 0'21"
And it's all the more shocking when you consider the role that investments in sanitation
played here in the developed world. If you take the example of the UK - it was government
led investments in sanitation which in fact brought about the most significant reductions in
child mortality at the end of the 19th
century. Far greater in fact that the advent of the National
Health System for example.

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2009
Page 4 of 4

Dima: Did you hear the answer? Which country made investments in sanitation at the
end of the 19th
century?
…
It was the United Kingdom.

Jackie: There was also some good language there. First, the phrasal verb 'to bring
about', meaning to result in something, to be the impulse for something to
happen. And second, the phrase 'significant reductions in child mortality'. This
simply means that the number of child deaths became a lot smaller. Oliver says
that improved sanitation 'brought about the most significant reductions in child
mortality', much greater than when the National Health Service was introduced
in the UK back in 1948.

Dima: And finally let's go back to the question I asked you earlier. I asked how much
money was spent in the world in 2004-2006 on improving sanitation.

Jackie: And I said…

Dima: And you were correct/the correct answer was …. just 1.5 billion dollars.

Jackie: Responds

Dima: I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. Until next week.

Both: Goodbye!


See the online version and listen to the programme at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2009/05/090521_6min_sanitation.shtml