The launches are in time for the 2012 World Toilet Day which aims to raise awareness on the global sanitation crisis plaguing 40 percent of world populationSingapore, November 6, 2012 – The World Toilet Organization (WTO), a global, non-profit organizationadvocating sustainable sanitation, marked the World Toilet Day (WTD) onNovember 19 to raise awareness on the crucial role of toilets in promoting thehealth, dignity and well-being of communities worldwide. To bolster the annualcampaign, the WTO has joined hands with the Water Supply and SanitationCollaborative Council (WSSCC) to revamp the World Toilet Day website,accessible via http://www.worldtoiletday.org, to enablepeople find the information need they to get involved in this global movement.
Besides the website, the WTO haslaunched their new, catchy tagline, “I Give A Shit” to grab the attention of governments,private sectors, civil societies and media on the sanitation issues the taglinerepresents. The WTD awareness this year will also be amplified on WTO’s socialmedia channels through Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/WTO.org), Twitter(@worldtoilet) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/OfficialWTO).
After all, social support for WTD isessential in breaking the taboo on discussing the toilet, a fundamentalsanitation facility, by showing that the potty, besides being vital for dailylife, can be a fun and sexy cause to strive for.
Jack Sim, the Founder and Director ofthe WTO, said, “Sanitation plays a significant role in ending poverty, creatinggender equality and keeping children in school, and thus, facilitates theachievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) launched by the UnitedNations.”
It is crucial that the internationalcommunities give greater attention to the sanitation gap because sanitation ispart of the seventh MDGs on ensuring environmental sustainability.
“We hope that the revamped website caninspire global communities with ways toclose this sanitation gap through the provision of functioning toilets,” hefurther said.
The importance of functioning toiletsis undeniable. Imagine how life without toilets would be like! Yet, astaggering 2.6 billion people, equal to 40 percent of the world population,live in dismally due to limited access to functioning toilets.
The absence of functioning toilets hasforced these people living in low and middle income countries to defecate andurinate in the open – a practice lethal not only to physical health, but alsotakes a toll on mental and emotional well-being.
Adisease poor sanitation triggers is diarrhea, with 4 billion cases of diarrhea– 1.8 million of them ending in death, cropping up annually. Children bear thegreatest brunt because 90 percent, or 1.6 million, of those deaths befall onchildren younger than five years old.
That is one child, brother, sister andfriend lost every 18 seconds!
NaningAdiwoso, President of Indonesian Toilet Association, also a well knownIndonesian Green Concept architect said, “theabsence of toilets flushes down the dreams of an entire generation, a plightthat we can erase through advocacy, inventive sanitation technology andeducation”.
“Hopefully, this year’s WTD could whipup support from the people in more than 19 countries through the eventsorganized by water and sanitation advocates,” Naning added.
Everyone in every country can lend ahand in their own way, from urging decision makers to look into the issue tobuilding functioning toilets where these facilities are in dire need.
Your participation ultimately saveslives. Get involved by downloading the campaign toolkit at www.worldtoiletday.org and liking the Facebook page of World ToiletDay. Spread the buzz by following @worldtoiletday on Twitter and through the hashtag #IGiveAShit.
UsefulLinks:
World Toilet Organization website: http://worldtoilet.org/wto/
World Toilet Day website: http://worldtoiletday.org/
World Toilet Organization Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WTO.org
World Toilet Day Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WTDay
World Toilet Organization Twitter: http://twitter.com/worldtoilet
World Toilet Day Twitter: http://twitter.com/worldtoiletday
World Toilet Organization YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/OfficialWTO
World Toilet Day YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/officialWTD
ABOUT WORLD TOILET ORGANIZATION
World Toilet Organization (WTO) is aglobal non-profit organization dedicated to improving the conditions of toiletsand sanitation worldwide. We understand that it is not just about providingaccess to adequate, clean sanitation – it’s also about giving people back theirdignity, providing comfort, improving lives and offering empowerment so thatthey can strive for brighter future.
We are one of the few organizationswhose sole focus is on toilets. Unfortunately, unlike water, toilets do not getthe same attention and resources needed – luckily our team likes nothing betterthan challenges.
We believe that through education,training and creating a sanitation marketplace, we can provide businessopportunities, sanitation and clean toilets for all. Visit www.worldtoilet.org
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