World Toilet Day Spreads Word on Crappy Problem

Here's some food for thought the next time you're sitting on the pot: Nearly 2.5 billion people lack access to proper sanitation, which kills 1.8 million people a year. To raise awareness of this messy issue while celebrating the importance of sanitation, the World Toilet Organization designated today, Nov. 19, as World Toilet Day.

The WTO, a global nonprofit committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide, established World Toilet Day to highlight people’s right to a safe and hygienic sanitary environment. Lacking sanitation is socially and economically debilitating; diarrheal diseases kill five times as many children in developing countries as does HIV/AIDS, and they also cause people to spend weeks out of school or work.

Wonder how this day is relevant to people fortunate enough to own toilets? The WTO emphasizes the importance of keeping bathrooms clean, reducing the amount of untreated sewage, developing restrooms that consider women’s needs and investing in more public restrooms.

Like any awareness day, there are plenty of things you can do to get involved. You can check out an event near you or even host one, use media outlets to spread the word, or make a donation. Grab a couple of friends and join thousands who will publicly squat for one minute to spread sanitation awareness.

You won’t be the only one joining in. Ecover, an eco-minded manufacturer of cleaning products, teamed up with WaterAid to help raise awareness of the issues facing the world's water supply. Watch this video with international musician Natalie Imbruglia for water-consumption tips.

--Michael Mullaley