World Toilet Day: UN Tasks Nations On Sanitation

As the world celebrates the
World Toilet Day, UN Secretary-General, Ban-Ki Moon, has urged government of nations to step up efforts to boost sanitation coverage in their various countries.
Ban made the call in his 2013 message on the World Toilet Day The World Toilet Day is celebrated every November 19 to raise global awareness for dignified sanitation.
Ban said : “We are a long way from achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing by half the proportion of people lacking adequate sanitation. We must urgently step up our efforts with all actors working together for rapid and tangible results. And as we look beyond 2015, it is essential that sanitation is placed at the heart of the post-2015 development framework. The solutions need not be expensive or technology-driven.”
The UN chief said that there were many successful models that could be replicated and scaled up to achieve the target stating that countries must work to educate at-risk communities and change cultural perceptions and long-standing practices that have no place in the modern world.
“By working together and by having an open and frank discussion on the importance of toilets and sanitation, we can improve the health and well-being of one-third of the human family,’’ he said.
According to Ban, each year, more than 800,000 children under five die needlessly from diarrhoea – more than one child a minute.
He said that countless others fall seriously ill with many suffering long-term health and developmental consequences, stressing that poor sanitation and hygiene are the primary cause.
“Worldwide, some 2.5 billion people lack the benefits of adequate sanitation. More than one billion people practice open defecation. We must break the taboos and make sanitation for all a global development priority.  Sanitation is central to human and environmental health. It is essential for sustainable development, dignity and opportunity,’’ he said.