We welcome you to join us in Osaka, Japan on Saturday and Sunday, March 28-29, 2020 for the 5th Asian Symposium on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH 2020), to be held at the Osaka Corona Hotel in Osaka City, Japan. This event is being organized alongside the 7th Asian Symposium on Healthcare Without Borders (HWB 2020).

WASH 2020 and HWB are convened by INTESDA in affiliation with the the Parasitic Disease Research Center, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand and the Translational Medicine Program Institute of Medicine at Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand.

WASH 2020 will coincide with the cherry blossom viewing period around Osaka. The good weather and blooming cherry blossoms is a time ‘hanami’ celebrations around the city. Hanami, which means cherry blossom viewing, is an important ritual in Japanese culture dating back hundreds of years. It is customary for people to gather in parks and spread tarps beneath the cherry trees, admiring the splendor of the blossoms, while eating, drinking and enjoying time with family and friends. The most popular spots for hanami get crowded with food and drink stalls, and sometimes there are festivals and events of all kinds. Plus, hanami in Osaka can be enjoyed not only during daytime, but also at night, when the cherry trees are lit up and offer a completely different scenery.

This is a small, international, peer-reviewed symposium with a limited number of oral and poster presentation time slots. We encourage all interested participants to submit presentations as early as possible. Please note that submissions and registration will close when the event has reached its capacity.

About WASH 2020

Water, declared a basic human right essential to the enjoyment of life and all other human rights by the UN, is inextricably linked to a nation’s health, economy and environment, yet today over 780 million people lack access to clean water and nearly 1.9 billion lack adequate sanitation. The stark contrast between developed and developing nations amplifies the current water and sanitation crisis. Multiple factors, most notably poverty, inequality and unequal power relationships, place developing regions like sub-Saharan Africa and Southern and Eastern Asia in a struggle for survival. Furthermore, social and environmental challenges like rapid urbanization, climate change, increasing agriculture water consumption, rising pollution levels, and the depletion of water, exacerbate the problem and intensify the competition for available water.

In addition to the lack of safe and potable water, inadequate access to improved sanitation facilities combined with poor hygienic practices contributes to impoverishment and spawns devastating health effects, especially in rural areas and urban slums in developing countries. Without effective sanitation systems, untreated human waste contaminates ground water, compromises other water supplies, and allows infections and diseases to spread. Over 1.5 million children under the age of five die each year as a result of diarrheal disease, and in India alone, approximately 600,000 children fall victim to diarrhea or pneumonia annually as a result of toxic water and poor hygiene. Regrettably, many of these incidents are preventable by using clean water technologies such as connections to public sewers or septic systems, toilets and latrines, and basic hygiene habits like hand washing with soap at critical times.

Without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation, the well-being of the human race is threatened, particularly in developing countries. As the world population increases, so does the demand for water. The technologies exist to rectify the water crisis, but progress is hampered by the lack of infrastructural investment by both the private and public sectors. Decision-makers at all levels must be involved to ensure the lives and dignity of the millions who depend on the rest of the world to intervene on their behalf.

With the theme Public Health and WASH, this symposium will focus on food safety, public health nursing, sustainable development, waste management, cultural and societal impacts on health and educating communities on the importance of improving access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene. It is hoped that today’s water crisis can be met with viable global solutions.

Submissions of 250 words in English are due by Friday, January 17, 2020.

Access to Clean Water
Disaster Management
Education for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Food Safety and Food Science
Health, Culture and Society
Public Health and WASH Promotion
Sustainable Development
Toilets, Sanitation and Hygiene
Waste Management
Waterborne Diseases
Other Areas (please specify)