The United Nations officially recognized 19 November as World Toilet Day in 2013 to draw attention to the pressing need for toilet facilities, both at home and away from the home. The UN is working closely with Governments to make improved sanitation a global and national development priority.
Poor sanitation can be blamed for many infectious diseases. We are all aware of the 19th century cholera epidemic in London which claimed more than 40 000 lives. Cholera was wiped out from London only after a sewage system was installed which then prevented human excreta from contaminating London’s drinking water. This is just one example, among many, of a disease that is caused by poor sanitation.
In 1990, only 23% of the population of the South-East Asia Region had access to improved sanitation. The countries in the Region have put in immense efforts to try and meet the MDG sanitation targets and by 2015, the proportion of the Region’s population with access to improved sanitation had risen to 49%. Open defecation has reduced from 60% across the Region in 1990 to 33% in 2015. Only 95 countries globally and 5 countries of our region have met the MDG target for sanitation. As we leave the MDG era and embark on the SDGs, sanitation still remains as unfinished business in many countries.
Sanitation has a direct impact on health of people and therefore it would be most meaningful for Ministries of Health to either spearhead the sanitation drive or encourage relevant Ministries to work aggressively on it. The second target of Sustainable Goal number six, for clean water and sanitation, requires countries to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030, and to end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations. The SDGs are inclusive and call for equitable access to everyone in all settings. This means that countries, with the help of development partners, must ensure communities, schools, health facilities, institutions and offices have access to adequate and safely managed toilets.
During the era of the MDGs, developing countries have been focusing on provision of sanitation in communities and homes while it is very timely to expand the focus to schools, health facilities, public places and offices. I would urge agencies to observe World Toilet 2015 by assessing the adequacy of toilets for women and men, cleanliness of toilets, usability of toilets and appropriateness for differentially abled people in your office setting. Make a pledge on this important day to improve sanitation and hygiene facilities in your office and other settings.