Why Celebrate the Toilet?
If you take indoor plumbing for granted, it may sound like a silly question. But toilets save lives.
Most of us cannot imagine life without a toilet. But until the 1800s, disposal of human waste was a daily struggle — and it continues to plague communities today.
4.2 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation.
Many people — especially children — get sick by coming into contact with human excreta within their communities through open defecation, flooded latrines and untreated wastewater.
Each year, this causes millions of preventable deaths.
When people lack a clean, safe toilet, possible outcomes include:
- death from diarrhea and other diseases;
- stunting or malnutrition from intestinal parasites;
- vulnerable situations for women and girls;
- pollution of water and food sources; and
- not being healthy enough to make a living.
Poor sanitation kills half a million children under the age of five every year, and costs $200 billion per year worldwide in healthcare costs and lost income.
Tackling the global sanitation crisis will save lives worldwide. That’s why our team work tirelessly, no matter where they are, to promote clean water, sanitation and hygiene practices.
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