ISAS Insights

The consequences of open defecation (OD) in India are devastating. Despite rapid growth and rising incomes over the past 25 years, India continues to have one of the highest incidences of OD in the world, in sharp contrast to other growing economies. This has contributed to the extraordinarily high rates of stunting and wasting among children. Nearly 40 per cent of children suffer from stunting, and one of every two is malnourished. Why is this problem so intractable?