Today is World Toilet Day… Give a shit?

Most of us will go through life believing that having an adequate loo is our right, but is it? If it is, is it not the right of the 2.5 billion people in the world today (that is 1 in 3!) who do not have access to sanitary toilet facilities? I believe it is.

The white throne.

I think I might get some funny looks from the windows of Norfolk Terrace if I pulled down my trousers to relieve myself by the lakeside on a sunny Norfolk day (although, let’s be honest, many a drunken student probably has done). But what if I had no choice? What if it was part of our everyday life on campus? I don’t think we would have much dignity left.

This act of relieving oneself outside is called open defecation and is practised by many in the third World.

According to the OECD (Policy and Operations Evaluation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), “Almost half the population in developing regions do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities, leading to an estimated 1.1 billion people practising open defecation which in itself contributes to major health risks”.

Human poo carries more than 50 different types of bacteria. When a person defecates outside these bacteria particles can be transferred onto their hands and feet and carried by insects which will then in turn contaminate their food and water sources. This disease-causing bacteria will then be consumed and the person will become very unwell with illnesses such as Diarrhoea. The scary fact is that Diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old in the entire world after pneumonia, and could be prevented through better sanitation practices.

So, what is World Toilet Day? Well, firstly, World Toilet Day is not about toilet humour. It was probably the title of this piece that caught your eye, but the purpose of World Toilet Day is to get people talking about health and sanitation and to help us get over this silly taboo that surrounds toilet talk. It also aims to bring about a better understanding of the problems of health and sanitation and to inspire us to act on our new understandings of these.

So, do you give a shit? If so, take a look at the World Toilet Day website. This will give you more information about how you can promote World Toilet Day and take action against the massive sanitation problems in many parts of the world today. Another great resource to look at is Rose George’s funny, engaging and moving talk on TED Talks entitled “Lets Talk Crap: Seriously”, which really brings home the effects of poor sanitation in countries like India.