World Toilet day 2019: “Leaving no one behind”. Today, on the 19th of November, we celebrate World Toilet day which is about inspiring action towards the global sanitation crisis.
Most importantly, on this day we are driven to achieve the promise of Sustainable Development goal 6; “eliminating open defecation and ensuring everyone has access to sustainable sanitation services by 2030...paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations”.
“A toilet is not just a toilet. It's a life-saver, dignity-protector and opportunity-maker. '' (worldtoiletday.org)
The world toilet organization was established in 2001 and in 2012 and it was made an official UN day. On this day, our world continues to live with 4.2 billion people without safely managed sanitation services and often enduring many forms of dicrimination. These people are often left behind when trying to access and maintain the sanitation services. This day is dedicated to the ones left behind without sanitation and the consequences of the world failing to provide safely managed facilities. Safely managed sanitation means hygienic toilet facilities that are not shared with other households and where the excreta is separated from human contact and safely disposed or treated off-site to protect the people and the environment from diseases. Possible solutions to this critical global include flush/pour flush toilets connected to piped sewer systems; septic tanks or latrine pits; ventilated improved pit latrines; composting toilets; or pit latrines with slab covers.
However, we are concerned that the world is falling off track in achieving SDG 6 by 2030, as funding is falling short, demand is rising, water pollution is increasing and the current governing structures are often weak.
This years theme “Leaving no one beind” encourages us to leave no one behind and expand access to safe toilets because whoever you are or wherever you come from, should not interfere with your fundamental human right to sanitation.
Crucial facts about sanitation:
*4.2 billion people live without safely managed sanitation - more than hald of the global population.
*673 million people still practise open defecation globally
*3 billion people live with a lack of basic hand washing facilities
*Human waste is spreading diseases into water supplies and the food chain
*432,000 cases of diarrhoeal deaths are caused every year due to inadequate sanitation
*297,000 children die every year from diarrhea before reaching the age of 5.
*Children under 5 years old living in protracted conflict area are nearly 20 times more likely to die from diarrheal diseases caused by a lack of sanitation that from direct violence.
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