World Toilet Day
2011/11/19
World Toilet Day (WTD) is a global initiative created by the World Toilet Organisation is celebrated on the 19 November. WTD aims to contribute to and raise global awareness of current sanitation challenges.
In 2000 the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)Seven aimed to address global water and sanitation challenges by placing measurable and verifiable globally agreed targets to track progress. The target for MDG 7 was to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
While globally there has been a marked improvement in access to safe drinking water and there is growing consensus that the MDG targets are on track, progress in sanitation has been slower, with the proportion of the population without access to a toilets now standing at 2.6 billion people, equalling 40% of the global population.
The current sanitation challenge is most extensive in Sub Saharan Africa and Asia, with a new report from Water Aid to be released highlighting that poor water and sanitation is costing Sub Saharan Africa approximately 5% of the annual GDP. In addition, the increasing population and rapid urbanisation are placing increasing pressure on the region. If the current trends are not urgently addressed by 2015, Africa will have 91 million without basic facilities than were recorded in 2004.
Lack of a toilet has multiple impacts including increase in water borne diseases, high levels of diarrheal diseases (resulting in high infant/ child mortality) and reduction in school attendance. As such it is imperative that we raise awareness and promote local action in ensuring access to safe sanitation facilities.
Official Website: www.worldtoilet.org
