Finding a clean, sanitary toilet is not something people in developed worlds think too much about. But for more than half the global population, 4.2 billion people, they live without safely managed sanitation. That is why UN Sustainable Development Goal number 6 addresses the problem of clean water and sanitation for all.
Because this issue impacts so many, in 2013 the UN made an official World Toilet Day. Every November 19, we recognize that open defecation is still a challenge to public health worldwide. More than six hundred million people still practice open defecation as there are no other options. According to the World Toilet Organization, at least two billion people have a drinking source that is contaminated with feces.
In case you missed it, our Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program was featured in the ACTIVATE series and the 47-minute episode featuring Uzo Aduba can be viewed on https://www.nationalgeographic.com/activate/clean-water/. The episode illustrates the hardships suffered by citizens who do not have access to clean water or decent sanitation. Uzo visits a village in Nigeria and sees firsthand the conditions of these communities and how our packets, although just a bridge, are making a difference.
Our CSDW Program transforms lives by turning dirty water into clean drinking water. The P&G Purifier of Water packets, invented by a P&G laundry scientist, packs the power of a water treatment facility into a 4-gram sachet. The program has helping people since 2004, and we recently hit our 16-billion-liter milestone. The program is made possible by the more than 150 global networks of partners including World Vision, Save the Children and Care to name a few. With their help, we’ve been able to help people in more than 90 countries get clean water.
So on World Toilet Day, take a moment to stop and consider those who are not as fortunate and all the efforts being made to address the challenges of lack of water and clean sanitation.