World Toilet Day
| World Toilet Day | |
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_logo.jpg){kind=logo}
Logo of the World Toilet Day
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| Date | 19 November |
| Next time | 19 November 2017 |
| Frequency | annual |
| First time | October 19, 2001 |
| Related to | World Toilet Organization |
World Toilet Day (WTD) is an annual event celebrated on 19 November. The day focuses on the importance of proper sanitation and advocates for access to clean and safe toilets for all. Originally established by the World Toilet Organization in 2001, the day is set aside to draw attention to the global sanitation crisis. Since then, World Toilet Day has grown in scope and recognition by global partners and in 2013, the United Nations (UN) passed a resolution recognizing WTD as an official UN international day (UN Resolution A/67/L.75).
It was estimated in 2015 that 2.4 billion (about 1 out of 3 people) lack access to improved sanitation facilities, and just under 1 billion continue to defecate openly. Sanitation is a human right, just like the human right to water. Lack of access to sanitation has an impact on health, dignity, and safety.
The spread of many diseases (e.g. soil-transmitted helminthiasis, diarrhea, schistosomiasis) and chronic malnutrition in children – which can be connected to a condition called environmental enteropathy – is directly related to exposure to human feces. In an analysis of 145 countries, it was estimated that 58% of all cases of diarrhea were caused by unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene (which includes poor handwashing behaviors). This has resulted in more than 526,000 children under the age of 5 dying from water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) related diarrhea in 2015 alone, i.e. nearly 1,400 child deaths a day or 1 childhood death per minute.
Providing sanitation has been estimated to lower the odds of children suffering diarrhea by 7–17%, and under-five mortality by 5–20%. Safely separating feces from human contact and the environment results in protection from many diseases. Historically, however, sanitation receives much less funding compared to water even though providing access to basic toilets decreases disease twice as much as access to clean drinking water.
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Wikipedia