4.2 billion people lack safe sanitation. How many?

Today is World Toilet Day. According to the following statistics from the United Nations, the inadequacy of poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water is significant:

  1. Over half of the global population or 4.2 billion people lack safe sanitation;
  2. 40% – or three billion people – of the global population live without basic handwashing facilities with soap and water available at home;
  3. Around 297,000 children under five – more than 800 every day – die annually from diarrheal diseases due to poor hygiene, poor sanitation or unsafe drinking water;
  4. Globally, 80% of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused; and
  5. By 2050, up to 5.7 billion people could be living in areas where water is scarce for at least one month a year, creating unprecedented competition for water.

“Everyone must have sustainable sanitation, alongside clean water and handwashing facilities, to help protect and maintain our health security and stop the spread of deadly infectious diseases such as COVID-19, cholera, and typhoid.” (https://www.un.org/en/observances/toilet-day)

What’s it like in your country? In your community? In your world? Do you know anyone without a toilet or who lacks safe sanitation? I do. What are we going to do about this?

Presently, I am volunteering as Project Manager of a team that is in the process of funding and managing a WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) project in Kisoro, Uganda at Matinza Primary School. The main aim of the project is to repair and build much needed toilets and latrines, and a water well.

You are invited to read one of my recent WASH articles entitled “World Toilet Day and lack of WASH in Uganda Schools” which was published on the Centre for African Justice Peace and Human Rights website.

So once again, all the best and do well.

Please feel free to direct any questions or comments to Kean Smith at kean@smithkas.com

World Science Day 2020

“Celebrated every 10 November, World Science Day for Peace and Development highlights the significant role of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues. It also underlines the importance and relevance of science in our daily lives.”[1]


[1] World Science Day for Peace and Development | United Nations. 2020. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-science-day [Accessed: 10 November 2020].