World Toilet Day as an official UN day, which is observed across the globe every year. Every year on November 19, this day is observed with an aim to end defection and to create public awareness, promote sanitation to the unprivileged.
Two years later, under the Sustainable Development Goals, that has is a set of 17 “Global Goals” with 169 targets covering a broad range of sustainable development issues, UN set a target to ensure everyone has access to a household toilet by 2030.
Over half of the global population or 4.2 billion people lack safe sanitation, moreover, 40 per cent – or three billion people in the world –live without basic handwashing facilities like soap and water, according to the United Nation.
Theme For World Toilet Day
Each year the day is celebrated with a unique theme. This year, the theme is Sustainable Sanitation and Climate Change.
This year’s theme is in reference to how climate change leading to more instances of flood, drought and rising sea levels is threatening sanitation systems – from toilets to septic tanks to treatment plants. The day aims to raise awareness on sustainable sanitation that can withstand climate change and keep communities healthy and functioning.
Significance Of World Toilet Day
Toilets impact positively on human dignity, public health, and hygiene, safety (especially for women), but it also ensures that diseases don’t spread in the society. There are several diseases that one can be infected with, such as cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, and dysentery.
World Toilet Day puts things and problems into perspective. Its objective is to inspire people around the world to act and do their bit in eradicating this social cause. It is aimed to tackle the global sanitation crisis and fulfill the goal set by Sustainable Development Goal 6 which aims to achieve ‘sanitation for all and end open defection’.
There are events, workshops, programs, and a number of campaigns that are organized by the United Nations and several other organizations around the globe on World Toilet Day.
World Toilet Day 2019: Date, theme and significance of the day
