More than half of the world’s population does not have proper toilets. In addition, the lack of a toilet can have the most serious consequences: from illness – to sexual violence and even death. To draw attention to this “uncomfortable” issue, November 19 was proclaimed “World Toilet Day” in 2001 at an international conference in Singapore on toilet issues. The venue for the conference was not chosen by chance: Singapore is famous for the impeccable cleanliness of latrines. More than 200 delegates from Asia, Europe and North America, representing 17 national toilet associations, met to discuss current issues and explore new concepts for toilet development. The result of the meeting was the World Toilet Organization (WTO), which initiated the creation of the holiday. On November 19, 2002, the progressive world community for the first time celebrated World Toilet Day – one of the most original and, according to the established tradition, merry holidays.
Today, this day serves as a reminder to humanity that 3.6 billion people live without access to safe sanitation (that is, they either do not have a toilet at home, or their toilet is not equipped for the safe disposal of sewage). One third of schools worldwide have no toilets. 900 million schoolchildren are unable to wash their hands after using the toilet due to inadequate facilities, leading to the spread of disease. Every day, more than 700 children under the age of five die from diarrhea caused by inadequate water, sanitation and poor hygiene. 2.5 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation, including toilets or simply pit latrines, with disastrous consequences for human health, dignity and security, the environment and socioeconomic development.
On an equal footing with all countries of the world, the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project celebrated this unusual holiday in the Vose district of the Khatlon region, where the Project is being implemented. On this day, an information meeting was held aimed at raising awareness of the need for access to sanitary services and changing the opinion about public toilets with the population of the district, representatives of rural health centers and teachers of secondary schools.