Billions of people do not have access to adequate sanitation and more than one billion practice open defecation resulting in thousands of deaths from preventable diseases every year, says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon launching initiative to raise awareness of lack of sanitation for "one-third of the human family".
"When schools offer decent toilets, more girls pursue their education. When women have access to a private latrine, they are less vulnerable to assault." Ban said.
Speaking on the occasion of "Wold Toilet Day", UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said "We must break the taboos and make sanitation a global development priority for all.”
He added that UN will soon launch a campaign that aims to end open defecation by 2025.
He added that "By working together and educating people about the importance of toilets and sanitation, we can improve the health and well-being of one-third of the human family. That is the goal of World Toilet Day.”
Each year, more than 800.000 children under five die from diarrhea, many due to poor sanitation, according to the UN.
In 2001, U.N. General Assembly declared November 19 as World Toilet Day, after the proposal from Singapore, where sanitation is a major problem.
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