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240 Crore people lack access to improved sanitation facilities all over the world

Inaugurating the 2016 World Toilet Day Celebrations at New Delhi, the World Renowned Environmental Scientist Dr. Priya Ranjan Trivedi said that more than 240 Crore persons all over the world have been found lacking access to improved sanitation facilities. That means about one out of three persons all over the world lack such facilities, rather one hundred crore out of them defecate openly, Dr. Trivedi added.

If further added that sanitation is a human right just like the human right to water.

He warned that lack of access to sanitation will further impact health, dignity and safety. He was of the view that spreading of many diseases like soil transmitted helminthiasis, diarrhea, schistosomiasis and chronic mal-nutrition in children can be connected to environmental enteropathy and is directly related to exposure to human feces.

Dr. Trivedi estimated that 58% of all cases of diarrhea are caused from unsafe water and poor sanitation and hygiene.

Discussing the problems of women, Dr. Trivedi explained that defecating in the open infringes on the human safety and dignity holding true for women and girls in the developing countries including India as they loose privacy and face shame having to defecate in public or after painfully holding their bladder and bowels all day and risk attack by waiting until night falls to relieve themselves.

Dr. Trivedi said that women in the developing countries are increasingly expressing feelings of fear of assault or rape when having to leave the house to use the toilet. He also had reports of attacks or harassment near or in toilet facilities as well as near or in areas where women defecate openly, are not uncommon.

Elaborating this year's Theme focussing on how sanitation, or the lack of it, can impact on livelihoods, Dr. Trivedi substantiated that toilets play a crucial role in creating a strong economy, as well as improving health and protecting people's safety and dignity, particularly of women and girls.

Dr. Trivedi expressed that the a lack of toilets at work and at home has severe impacts upon businesses through problems in the workforce: poor health, absenteeism, attrition, reduced concentration, exhaustion, and decreased productivity. Loss of productivity due to illnesses caused by lack of sanitation and poor hygiene practices is estimated to cost many countries up to 5% of GDP.

He advocated for investing in good toilets in workplaces and schools so that women and girls have clean.