November 19th is World Toilet Day. A day to celebrate the importance of sanitation and raise awareness for the 2.5 billion people (nearly half of the world's population) who don't have access to toilets and proper sanitation.

For those without toilets: Be informed about the lack of sanitation in the world. The facts are staggering: 2.5 billion people worldwide are without access to proper sanitation, which risks their health, strips their dignity, and kills 1.8 million people, mostly children, a year.1 Diarrheal diseases kill five times as many children in the developing world as HIV/AIDS.2 That's 5,000 children DYING EVERY SINGLE DAY. Not only that, but the disease kills more children than either malaria or AIDS, stunts growth, and forces millions - adults and children alike - to spend weeks at a time off work or school, which hits both a country's economy and its citizens' chances of a better future.3 The majority of the illness in the world is caused by fecal matter.4 Lack of sanitation is the world's biggest cause of infection.4 One gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs.5 Safe disposal of children's feces leads to a reduction of nearly 40% in childhood diarrhea.5

For those with toilets: We need clean bathrooms. Feces is a vector for bacteria, viruses and worms, which can cause a multitude of diseases. It can be dangerous if not treated properly. So while you may not want to think about it, it's important that our bathrooms are cleaned frequently -- especially public restrooms. We need safe water. The U.S. EPA estimates the amount of untreated sewage entering the environment every year could fill both the Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden. Untreated sewage carries potentially-infectious bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxic chemicals. When it ends up in our water, it threatens both our health and the environment.6 We need women's rights. Studies show that women take longer to use restrooms than men. If there are three toilets for each gender, though, the women's room will have a far longer line. You've seen it happen in stadiums, theaters, and malls - that's because archaic building codes don't consider women's physiological needs. We need public restrooms. Public restrooms aren't just a matter of convenience, they're a matter of dignity, public health, safety, and a way to make our cities more livable. As a matter of public infrastructure, our cities need to invest far more.

The World Toilet Organization is working to bring awareness to sanitation. If everyone works together - we can make a difference.

1. UNICEF. http://www.unicef.org/wash/index_23606.html

2. UNICEF/WHO. 2008. Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation: Special Focus on Sanitation.

3. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914655,00.html

4. Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC). 2008. A Guide to Investigating One of the Biggest Scandals of the Last 50 Years.

5. UNICEF. http://www.unicef.org/india/wes_4648.htm

6. NRDC. http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/sewage.asp