Swachh Bharat Mission prevented 60,000-70,000 infant deaths: Study

Based on its findings, the paper noted that the SBM’s success in reducing infant mortality and mortality among children under five was evidence that “transformative sanitation programmes can deliver population health benefits in low- and middle-income countries”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the SBM on October 2, 2014. One of the objectives of the campaign is to address open defecation in villages by providing access to toilets in all rural households. As of July 2024, almost 120 million (12 crore) toilets across rural and urban India had been built in the last nine years, according to a statement by Union minister Hardeep Puri.

In a post on X, the PM said 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,” he said in his post, sharing a link to the research paper.