Right now, 2.6 billion people in the world are in need of basic sanitation. That’s two in five of us.
Sanitation saves lives and the faster we act the more lives we save.
A child’s life could be saved every 20 seconds, if safe drinking water and basic sanitation were available. This improvement could reduce 80% of all sickness and disease; it could save more lives per year than are lost due to armed conflict. The dramatic health improvements would provide a more dignified life – providing each man, woman or child with more time to work, learn or care for the family.
Urinating and defecating are basic human needs just like eating, drinking, sleeping or breathing. Every human being should be able to fulfil that need with dignity. Sanitation provides privacy and protects everyone in the community. It is time we recognise the important contributions that sanitation makes for human development and act concertedly to make a difference.
Are you aware of the positive impacts of sanitation?
Sanitation is the best preventive medicine.
The containment and treatment of human excreta – combined with hand-washing – protects humans from harmful bacteria, viruses and worms. Sanitation dramatically reduces cases of diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and worm infections. This particularly protects children from additional malnutrition and stunted growth.
Without such illnesses, the body becomes more resillient to acute respiratory diseases, like pneumonia. Sanitation protects the health of HIV/AIDS patients with a weakened immune system. By preventing unneccessary death and disease, sanitation alleviates the psychological burden of fear that plagues many families and communities.
Safe sanitation and clean water can save the lives of 5,000 children under the age of five per day.
Imagine losing a loved one to diarrhoea.
Sanitation contributes to gender equality, access to education and dignity.
Toilet facilities provide privacy and prevent women from experiencing abuse while defecating openly. As domestic carers for the sick in many societies, women benefit the most from a healthy community. Their own health is safeguarded and they gain time to further their education and contribute to their family's well-being.
Clean toilets contribute to poverty eradication by protection one's health and ability to work. Good school sanitation is essential for keeping children in school – particularly girls during menstruation. Education is the foundation for development.
194,000,000 school days could be gained every year, if sanitation improved.
Imagine your daughter exposed herself to the danger of rape everytime she has to "go to the bush".
Sanitation reduces poverty and fosters economic growth.
Access to toilets saves time otherwise lost seeking secluded spots to defecate as well as creating a more healthy society. Adults have more time to work and increase family income. Healthy children spend more time in school and help create an educated society. Sanitation protects the water and soil resources from pollutants which increases the regional economic potential.
Utilising human excreta as a resource drives local economic development. Treated urine and faeces are excellent fertilisers. Biogas provides renewable energy. Reuse of treated wastewater results in water savings. Sanitation should therefore be viewed as an opportunity, not as a problem.
Each dollar invested into sanitation results in a 9 dollar economic return.
Imagine losing your job because you repeatedly have diarrhoea.
Sanitation sustains human settlement and protects our planet's environment.
Safe collection and treatment of human waste and other various wastewaters protects drinking water sources and eco-systems. Sanitation creates clean and healthy living environments, particularly in urban areas.
Sanitation can make agricultural production sustainable, by returning treated human excreta to the fields as a fertiliser. This practice saves energy and protects the world’s finite reserves of phosphorous, which are required for artificial fertilizer production. The treatment of faeces, manure and organic waste also produces biogas, a renewable energy, which reduces CO2 emissions.
Global sanitation coverage could treat over 375,000 tons of faeces per day, which are currently being discharged untreated into nature.
Imagine getting your drinking water from a river that other people use as a toilet.