In 2014, India took a collective pledge to ensure cleanliness, health, and hygiene for all its citizens through the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). This nationwide campaign, driven by the vision of a clean India, has transformed sanitation across both urban and rural landscapes, making cleanliness a priority for millions. By promoting sustainable waste management practices, the mission has empowered communities, improved public health, and sparked a cultural shift towards hygiene.
A study in Nature estimated that the SBM programme has been instrumental in averting 60,000–70,000 infant deaths annually since its launch. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, by 2025, an additional 677.3 million people in India are expected to benefit from improved health and well-being compared to 2018.
While the impact of SBM on public health has been widely documented, its contribution extends far beyond. When governments and communities invest in public health and hygiene, they build infrastructure and institutions that have a ripple effect on multiple aspects of development. By focusing on long-term behavioural change and sustainable impact rather than short-term outputs like toilet construction, SBM has set a movement in motion that will continue to influence health, education, livelihoods, economic growth, women’s empowerment, and the environment in the distant future too.
Take, for example, the livelihood benefits under SBM. In its first phase, when sanitation infrastructure.