For every $1dollar spent on sanitation at least $9dollars are saved in health, education and economic development (UN)
Sanitation is more important than independence
In the future the flush toilet will become extinct. It makes no sense to flush excreta with precious drinking water. It's costly in terms of money and energy. In rural areas dry toilets have already become the best accepted technology. It's called Ecological Sanitation.
At current rates of progress the Millennium Development Goals sanitation target will not be met until the 22nd century. That's over 80 years too late!
For every $1dollar spent on sanitation at least $9dollars are saved in health, education and economic development (UN)
Children will continue to suffer the most with shortened life spans, missed schooling, disease, malnutrition and poverty.
60% of all rural diseases are caused by poor hygiene and sanitation.
More than 433 million school days are lost each year because of water-borne disease.
At any one time, half of the world's hospital beds are filled with people suffering from water-borne diseases caused by pollution from untreated sewage.
A baby born in sub-Saharan Africa is 500 times more likely to die from diarrhoeal diseases than a baby in the developed world. Even worse Diarrhoea can lead to severe malnutrition which contributed to 6 million child deaths a year.
Every day 5,000 children under 5 die needlessly from diarrhoeal diseases caused by dirty water.
In Africa it is estimated that 5% of GDP is lost to the illnesses and deaths caused by poor sanitation and water. (Source: UN)
40% of the world’s population who have to use fields, streams, rivers, railway lines, canal banks, roadsides, plastic bags, or squalid, disease breeding
buckets.
Without toilets, disease and death are rife. Illness prevents people from working. It stops children going to school. It stops peace being built.
Without toilets, human waste can contaminate water, food and causes the majority of illness in the world. Illnesses like diarrhoea, which stop children growing healthily and lead to malnutrition.
One gram of faeces can contain 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs.
Every day 2.6 billion people do not have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet.
Sky News Presenter Marverine Cole has joined the Toilet Twinning famous fans club.
