In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed Nov. 19th to be World Toilet Day. The purpose of the day is to bring attention to the 2.4 billion people around the world who live without adequate sanitation (an estimated one billion of which simply defecate in the open).
Decent sanitation is something that many people in developed countries take for granted. World Toilet Day is a chance to remember that for billions of people, toilets are a matter of life, health and dignity. And those of us in the plumbing industry are uniquely positioned to inform and educate.
For 2015, the focus of World Toilet Day is the inter-connection between sanitation, water quality and nutrition. According to the World Health Organization, roughly 50% of all malnutrition cases are associated with repeated diarrhea or intestinal worm infections as a direct result of inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene.
The World Toilet Day website, www.worldtoiletday.info, has more information, including events being held around the world, logo kits with usage guidelines to help spread the word, and more ways to get involved.
This gallery includes previous articles on World Toilet Day, as well as developments in the efforts to improve sanitation around the world.
