Accelerating change: Global call to action on World Toilet Day… to Meet 2030 Sanitation Goals

World Toilet Day 2023, on No­vember 19, focusing on ‘Accelerating Change’ – Toilets are a foun­dation stone of public health and play a critical role in pro­tecting the environment”.

Celebrated annually on the 19th of November, World Toilet Day aims to inspire concerted efforts in address­ing the pressing global sani­tation crisis, which currently leaves approximately 3.5 billion people without access to safely managed sanitation.

Even today, a staggering 3.5 billion individuals lack safely managed sanitation, and an appalling 419 million people continue to use ‘open defeca­tion’, a condition that encour­ages the spread of diseases and claims the lives of 1,000 children under the age of five daily. This sanitation crisis, a hazard to human health and the environment, dispropor­tionately af­fects women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.

Given the fact that only seven years remain to attain the 2030 target for Sustain­able Development Goal 6 – ensuring safe water for all – the global community needs to accelerate its efforts to ensure that the 2030 agenda is realised.

Our current pace, coupled with insufficient funds, esca­lating demand, deteriorating water quality, and the inad­equacies of existing gover­nance frameworks, gravely threatens the realisation of this goal.

In alignment with this year’s theme – ‘Accelerating Change’ – it’s imperative that we expedite our global efforts to achieve the UN’s 2030 tar­get. Governments and major institutions must synergistical­ly operate, take accountability for their promises, and timely deliver on them. Actually, every individual, regardless of their contributions’ scale, has a role in accelerating this progress.

Implications of poor san­itation

The implications of poor water and sanitation are widespread and deleterious, gravely affecting individu­als who are forced to use unsanitary toilet facilities or consume and utilise contam­inated water. Diseases linked to sanitation, like diarrheal diseases, cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, and various parasitic infections, pose sig­nificant public health risks.

These illnesses can result in extensive sickness, hospi­talisations, and even fatalities, particularly in areas with sparse access to clean wa­ter and adequate sanitation facilities. Enhancements of sanitation infrastructure can decrease these disease bur­dens and elevate public health globally.

Benefits of good

sanitation

Absolutely, having good sanitation facilities indeed has numerous benefits. They go beyond the improvement of public health. Proper sanita­tion infrastructure can reduce healthcare costs as there are fewer cases of sanitation-re­lated diseases. It can also increase productivity as indi­viduals are healthier and can devote more time to work, studies, or other activities.

This results in a better quality of life for individu­als and their communities. Furthermore, good sanitation infrastructure contributes to environmental sustainability. It aids in reducing pollution since waste is properly man­aged and does not end up contaminating water bodies and other natural environ­ments. A safe and clean environment, in turn, helps protect vital natural resources, including clean water sources.

Collaborative efforts

Governments, donors, the private sector, and non-gov­ernmental organizations all play significant roles in advancing sanitation infra­structure. They need to co­operate and work cohesively towards delivering water and sanitation services effectively. Furthermore, research insti­tutions can contribute by pro­viding the necessary scientific understanding and techno­logical innovations. This joint endeavour will not just help in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically Goal 6, but also improve public health and well-being on a global scale.

SADC-GMI’s efforts

SADC-GMI has made commendable efforts by implementing various projects in SADC Member States to ensure everyone has access to water and sanitation as per the United Nations Agenda 2030. These initiatives have positively impacted local communities by ensuring a continuous water supply which ultimately leads to bet­ter hygiene. Beyond hygiene, these water supply projects have also brought about im­proved economic benefits for the communities. Indeed, the projects are transformative, aiding communities in gaining access to dependable water supply for both domestic and economic uses.

These projects, despite the complications posed by climate change, continue to thrive and be sustainable. This resilience greatly benefits communities, offering steady water for various needs. This ties into reaching the sani­tation goals defined by the United Nations Agenda 2030.

Yes, with the 2030 deadline of the United Nations Sus­tainable Development Goals approaching, fast progress is needed to ensure everyone has access to basic sanitation facilities and clean water. Sanitation and drinking water are human rights, and access to these services is crucial for people’s health and the integ­rity of the environment. To this end, cooperation between different sectors – govern­ments, donors, the private sector, research institutions, and civil society will be critical in facilitating this progression.

BY THOKOZANI DLAMINI

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Thokozani Dlamini is SADC-GMI Communica­tion and Knowledge Man­agement Specialist