2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities, i.e., toilets or latrines that ensure clear separation of faeces and human contact. This number explains the worldwide deficit in sanitation.
Populations in need are deeply affected by this problem. In India alone, some 600 million people are forced to defecate out in the open, often in full view of those around them. This is a particularly painful situation for women. To preserve their privacy as much as possible, they must often wait long hours to relieve themselves, putting their health and safety at risk. For these women, as for all those who are deprived of basic sanitation, dignity remains a dream still out of their reach.
This situation deeply hinders human development. Water sources are contaminated and this, in turn, leads to a number of deadly diseases such as diarrhea, that kills 5,000 children every day. It also deprives boys and girls of their right to learn since this disease forces a good many of them to stay home.
Reducing the serious sanitation deficit is a prerequisite for eradicating poverty and helping disadvantaged populations improve their lives.
Published on March 4, 2010