WHO: One-Third Of The World's Population Lives Without Access To A Toilet

It's so easy to take every day for granted, including many of the gifts that others around the world do not have; these might include things like shelter and proper sanitation.

A new report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF reveal that even today, almost one-third of the world's population or 2.4 billion people do not have access to sanitation facilities. This figure includes 946 people who must defecate in open areas, contributing to water pollution and health endangerment of populations worldwide. Health officials note that access to clean water, as well as adequate sanitation, are critical in preventing16 tropical diseases, including trachoma, soil-transmitted helminths (intestinal worms) and schistosomiasis, that may result in blindness, disfigurement and death and affect more than 1.4 billion people in 149 countries.

"Until everyone has access to adequate sanitation facilities, the quality of water supplies will be undermined and too many people will continue to die from waterborne and water-related diseases," said Maria Neira, head of public health at the WHO.

India reportedly has the worst facilities among all countries, where an estimated 640 million people are contributing to water pollution by using the bathroom in rivers, according to the Guardian.

While the Indian government has promised to help install toilets in houses, there has been little action on educating people on the dangers of unhygenic practices. Furthermore, due to a low budget and excessive population growth at 1.26 billion people, any gains made have been relatively small, according to officials. 

"There is a kind of a feeling among politicians that, if we ignore the problem it will go away," said Nitya Jacob, who leads policy for the Indian branch of the international charity WaterAid. "And so we've had years of poor funding, poor quality equipment and poor solutions being offered to the poor."

India will need to build around 100 million toilets to provide everyone with proper access, according to the report. 

Rural areas are home to 7 out of 10 people without access and 9 out of 10 people who defecate in the open.

Plans for the new Sustainable Development Goals to be set by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015 include a target to eliminate open defecation by 2030. This would require a doubling of current rates of reduction, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, according to both the WHO and UNICEF.

Related Articles

20 Percent of Hospitals Don't Have Proper Sanitation, Says Columbia University Study

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).