World Toilet Day observed on 19 November with the theme Sanitation and Nutrition

19 November: World Toilet Day

World Toilet Day (WTD) was observed on 19 November 2015 across the world with the theme Sanitation and Nutrition.

The aim of WTD is to raise awareness about the people in the world who don’t have access to a toilet, despite the fact that it is a human right to have clean water and sanitation.

The effort of the WTD in 2015 was to draw the world’s attention to the importance of toilets in supporting better nutrition and improved health.

WTD has been celebrated by the World Toilet Organisation since 2001. It was later became an official UN day on 24 July 2013 as the 67th session of UN General Assembly approved it through the Sanitation For All resolution.

At present, the Day is coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with Governments and relevant stakeholders.

The theme for 2014 WTD was Equality and Dignity.

Key facts related to sanitation

• About 2.4 billion people around the world still do not have adequate sanitation and 1 billion among them still defecate in the open.
• Poor sanitation increases the risk of disease and malnutrition, especially for women and children.
• While 1000 children die each day due to poor sanitation, women and girls risk rape and abuse because they have no toilet that offers privacy.
• In September 2015, the UN General Assembly approved the Sustainable Development Goal 6 that aims at access to water and sanitation for all.
• In India, the Union Government launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on 2 October 2014 and is planning to spend around 134000 crore rupees by 2019 to construct 11 crore 11 lakh toilets in the country.

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