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Leading experts to discuss why almost a third of the world’s population continues to suffer from a lack of access to improved sanitation. Join the conversation on Twitter at #Toilets4all!
Leading experts to discuss why almost a third of the world’s population continues to suffer from a lack of access to improved sanitation. Join the conversation on Twitter at #Toilets4all!
Published 12-05-12
Submitted by CSRwire
The United Nations has declared access to sanitation a basic human right, yet almost a third of the world’s population suffers from a lack of access to improved sanitation. Every year, 6.9 million children die before they reach their fifth birthday. A third of these deaths are caused by diarrheal disease and pneumonia – both can be significantly reduced through improving access to sanitation and promoting handwashing with soap.
The World Health Organization estimates a rate of return of $3-34 for each $1 invested in water and sanitation, depending on the context and system adopted. However, investment in water, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries is minimal compared to other sectors of public spending, and the share of investment going to water, sanitation and hygiene has actually fallen over the last 15 years.
What Will It Take for 1 Billion People to Improve Their Health?
Unilever, under its Sustainable Living Plan, has committed to helping more than one billion people take action to improve their health and wellbeing and on the occasion of World Toilet Day, through its leading hygiene brand Domestos, announced new initiatives including the first Domestos Toilet Academy (in partnership with the World Toilet Organization) in Ho Chi Minh City. Domestos and the Unilever Foundation have been actively addressing the sanitation crisis through their support of UNICEF’s Community Approaches to Total Sanitation programme. Additionally, Unilever is working with Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor on addressing the increasing global problem of inadequate access to water and sanitation for the urban poor.
To reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on sanitation in 2015, more than 120 million people will need to gain access to improved sanitation every year between now and then. One of the key reasons why the MDG for sanitation is lagging furthest behind is the relative reluctance to talk about it.
#Toilets4All: Toilets for Health
Now, join Unilever, UNICEF and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) for an interactive Twitter chat to discuss the issue of sanitation and the ongoing lack of access to improved infrastructure.
We will discuss amongst others the latest insights from the World Toilet Summit in Durban (4-6 Dec) and dive into the findings of Toilets for Health, a white paper by the LSHTM, which highlights how improved sanitation could greatly reduce diseases such as diarrhea, and save as many as 850,000 children from dying every year, and discuss:
Most importantly: how do we together elevate the importance of access to sanitation on the global agenda?
Moderated by CSRwire's Editorial Director Aman Singh and TriplePundit Editor in Chief Jen Boynton, the conversation will feature:
Details:
Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Time: 11:00am EST
Where: To register, drop us an email at aman@csrwire.com and join us on Twitter at #Toilets4All
Accounts to follow: @unilever @team_toilet @csrwire @triplepundit @val23curtis
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