Why Toilets?

The importance of global sanitation and toilets cannot be overemphasized. For this reason, it is JaniWrap’s  privilege to help illuminate these issues. Article curated from the World Toilet Organization.

We use them every day – at home, school, work, restaurants, shopping malls – yet we seldom talk about them. The silence around the issue of toilets and sanitation has deadly consequences.

At current rates of progress, the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for sanitation remains the most off-track of all, leaving one-third of the world’s population without access to improved sanitation.

Sanitation is a basic human right yet slow and insufficient progress leaves billions around the world prone to illness, poverty and abuse.

Despite compelling evidence that shows the benefits and great returns of investing in sanitation, it continues to be an ‘unglamorous’ subject for many policy-makers. The area of water (an equally important subject), on the other hand, receives more funding and attention on the global development agenda.

This needs to change.

Around one billion people in our world today face the indignity of defecating in the open. A lack of clean and safe toilets at schools leads to higher dropout among girls once they reach puberty.

Diarrhoeal diseases – a direct consequence of poor sanitation – kill more children every year than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

Clean and safe toilets are prerequisites for health, dignity, privacy and education. The World Toilet Organization was established with the aim to break the taboo around toilets and the sanitation crisis.

Since 2001, we have lobbied governments, public and private sector stakeholders and the international community to prioritize sanitation in the development agenda.

Through our initiatives – World Toilet Day, World Toilet Summit, World Toilet College and SaniShop – we continue to mobilise an international network of partners, supporters, donors, governments and international organisations to advocate for effective sanitation policies to ensure health, dignity and well-being for everyone, everywhere.

We make temporary out-of-order covers for urinals & toilets in public restrooms, to find out more JaniWrap Products.