UN has recently marked their annual celebration of the World Toilet Day. With the objective of raising awareness and discussing the often neglected global sanitation crisis, the United Nations is also highlighting the impact of sanitation, or even the lack of it on livelihoods and work environments. Current data shows that about the 2.4 billion people around the world who live without a toilet and the rates of diseases due to inadequate access to sanitation and unsafe water. In line with that, with the theme: "Toilets and Jobs", the UN estimates that in many countries, it creates a five per cent loss in gross domestic product (GDP).
World Toilet Day, Its Impacts And Objectives
In one of their statements revealed by the UN News Center, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said that toilets play a crucial role in creating a strong economy. A lack of toilets at work and at home has severe consequences, including poor health leading to absenteeism, reduced concentration, exhaustion, and decreased productivity.
On the other hand, Myanmar Times has reportedly said that the World Health Organization (WHO) believes that those households without a proper toilet are at greater risk for a number of deadly diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A and typhoid. In its recent survey, the WHO fact sheet on sanitation has found that diarrhea remains to be the major killer that is supposedly considered as something that is largely preventable.
Meanwhile, records show that almost 17 percent of workplace related mortality are basically caused by disease transmission. It has also been further revealed that approximately $260 billion is lost every year due to poor sanitation and unsafe water. The secretary-general has also added that investing in appropriate toilets is just but crucial for everyone, girls and boys.
Ultimately, Mr. Ban believes that having the access to a clean and hygienic toilet is a basic human right, which is also found to be beneficial for people, business, and the economy. The UN Secretary-General allegedly hopes for everyone across the globe to continue in working towards a world where everyone, everywhere, has adequate and equitable sanitation.
