The Conference commenced on Monday in Colombo under the theme "Sanitation Enhances Quality of Life".

Around 300 delegates including ministers responsible for sanitation in the region as well as political leaders of other Asian countries and 150 local representatives participate in the conference, held biennially on a rotational basis in each country of the region.

The meeting will also discuss measures to facilitate development of country-specific as well as regional frameworks for sanitation and to increase outreach of sanitation agenda in the region.

An exhibition on sanitation procedures as well as experiences on lessons learnt in sanitation and hygiene promotion is being conducted in parallel to the sessions.

A significant ant portion of the population in the South Asian region are without proper sanitation facilities and this is an obstacle to the social development in the region, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage, Dinesh Gunawardena said speaking at the opening session on Monday.

"According to the United Nations, 2.6 billion people in the world do not have improved sanitation facilities. The most disconcerting fact is that 72 per cent of this 2.6 billion live in Asia," the Minister pointed out.

The Minister highlighted the importance of carrying out projects and research activities by governments and civil organizations to enhance the regional cooperation to improve sanitation in the region.

Minister Gunawardena also pointed out the role mass media can play in educating the future generation on sanitation.

WHO Country Representative for Sri Lanka F. R. Mehta said diarrhoeal diseases were the single largest reason for the death of 1.5 million children under the age of 5. It was the second leading contributor to the global disease burden, but did not get the funding that some other diseases received. Better sanitation could easily prevent a majority of deaths.

The Conference to be held till Thursday (07) will review the progress made in implementation of the Delhi Declaration of the 3rd South Asian Conference on Sanitation held in 2008 in India.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will inaugurate the Ministerial Summit today (06) and following the review of draft Declaration/Resolution, a declaration of the ministers will be signed during that session.