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World Toilet Day shutterstock

Column Laughter at World Toilet Day is worth it if it highlights that sanitation is a human right

Today is World Toilet Day. Yes, people might laugh, writes Michael Doorly, but did you know more children die from diarrhoea related disease than HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

TODAY IS WORLD Toilet Day. Yes, there really is one.

Go on smile, have a little laugh even. The man from the United Nations said we probably would. In fact, he said: “The amusement and laughter likely to follow the designation of 19 November as ‘World Toilet Day’ would all be worthwhile if people’s attention was drawn to the fact that 2.5 billion people lacked proper sanitation and 1.1 billion were forced to defecate in the open.”

In basic terms, it means one in three people in the world do not have access to a clean and functioning toilet or, put another way, more people have access to a mobile phone (6 billion people) than have access to toilets or latrines (4.5 billion people).

Serious health risk

We all know that without toilets, untreated human waste can impact a whole community, affecting many aspects of daily life and ultimately posing a serious risk to health including child malnutrition.

Beyond health there are societal impacts, such as teenage girls often leaving school at the onset of menstruation due to lack of privacy and the risk of attack or rape associated with being forced to defecate in the open during nightfall.

Every year more children die from diarrhoea related disease than from HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined.  This situation could be solved simply by providing improved water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

Sanitation a low priority

Despite the scale of the crisis, sanitation remains a low priority for governments and recent efforts to address this fall far short of what is required.

The simple fact is that toilets are one of the best investments a country can make with a rate of return of more than $5 dollars for every $1 invested.

There is growing evidence showing the social and economic benefits for households, businesses and the wider community, such as increased productivity through time gains and health benefits, increase in tourism revenues through clean environments, a strong reduction of health costs by avoiding treating sanitation related diseases, higher levels of education, and other benefits related to dignity and safety.

Clear targets

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), agreed by governments in the year 2000, outlined clear and ambitious targets for water and sanitation provision by 2015. Efforts over the past decade have yielded some progress.

The World Health Organisation declared the target for water supply as being met in 2010, with two billion people gaining access to improved water since 1990. Unfortunately, this achievement is somewhat overshadowed by the fact that achievement of the MDG target for sanitation now appears beyond reach.

The number of people living without improved sanitation is disproportionately high in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Water and sanitation programmes are a key component of Concern’s overseas work contributing to the organisation’s strategic goal to “significantly improve the health of extremely poor people”.

Urbanisation

Specific attention to urban sanitation is seen as essential as rapid rates of urbanisation mean that, by 2030, almost five billion people will live in towns and cities, with urban growth most concentrated in Africa and Asia.

Approximately one billion of the world’s population are already living in urban slums where lack of access to safe toilets and proper sanitation is most acute.

The sad fact is that, like so many ‘development’ issues, there are solutions out there that are not yet impacting the lives of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

Hygienic toilets

Solutions ranging from the most basic construction of latrines to higher tech versions that include the creation of waterless and hygienic toilets that don’t rely on sewer lines and that can store and process waste into fertiliser, energy and even drinkable water.

But like so many development issues we still need the political will and financial support to make them a reality.

World Toilet Day? Yes we can still have a smile about it, but it can also be a reminder that we all have an urgent role to play in supporting national and international efforts to improve access to sanitation for all.

You can do this by:

  • Signing the Keep Your Promises petition which will be handed in to world leaders to call on them to keep their promises and to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to safe sanitation and clean water. The link is here.

  • Support  the #IGiveAShit campaign which calls on government s and institutions to act to tackle this unacceptable cause of death for children worldwide.

If you wish to learn more about this vital issue, see www.worldtoiletday.org or you can attend a discussion in Dublin’s Davis Lecture Theatre, Arts Block, Trinity College from 6:30pm -8:00pm today, November 19th, World Toilet Day.

Michael Doorly is Head of Active Citizenship with Concern Worldwide. He promotes educational programmes on development issues all over Ireland and leads for the agency on the active engagement of students in initiatives like the long-standing annual Concern Debates, Concern Writing Competition, and more. Follow Concern Worldwide on Twitter here.

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19 Comments
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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    May 13th 2015, 6:34 AM

    I knew a fella that lost both feet to frostbite, he drank two hot whiskeys, and not only did his feet grow back, he got a part in riverdance. True story.

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    Mute Ronan Sexton
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    May 13th 2015, 6:50 AM

    Pics, or it never happened.

    38
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    Mute Celticspirit321
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    May 13th 2015, 6:54 AM

    Even better, here’s the video https://youtu.be/jjxTTjJtXDA

    15
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    Mute John Fahey
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    May 13th 2015, 6:53 AM

    Irish whiskey, among many other Irish companies are missing out on major new markets, namely China.

    This is a MASSIVE new market, and their marketing is no where. You see Scottish whiskey advertisements everywhere, and as a result, Johnny Walker is being sold for crazy money over there, albeit mixed with bottles of green tea!

    Not only is Scottish whiskey advertised, but Scotland and its “brand” are shown, including images of golf (another booming industry!) etc. You see similar examples of France when cosmetics or wine is advertised.

    You do see Irish whiskey in shops, Jameson is available for approx €10 a bottle (made in Ireland too!) But it’s not treated as high end, where serious money can be made, by any means.

    Being a small nation, I feel our companies need a co-ordinated effort to help use brand “Ireland” to market themselves in China. Our government should be involved, as this will not only help boost exports, but also help to increase tourism etc. Reducing the visa paperwork will only go so far.

    An aggressive approach is very much needed. It would be a major boost for Ireland to be known in China as “being the best in the world” for something like whiskey, as it would help put us on their map, which we aren’t yet on.

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    Mute Freddie Rincon
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    May 13th 2015, 3:56 PM

    Same in Latin America. I imagine they simply could’nt supply the demand? 20 brands of scotch the odd place will have Jameson.

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    May 13th 2015, 7:42 AM

    Mr John Teeling is to be commended for his Trojan efforts in injecting new life into the Irish Whiskey sector over the past twenty years or so.

    This former University lecturer in Business studies, is a true Entrepreneur, who has practiced what he preached!

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    Mute Chris
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    May 13th 2015, 12:34 PM

    Love the stuff too, great product.

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    Mute Mark Gerard Lochlain
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    May 13th 2015, 6:27 AM

    Yea purely for medicinal purposes!!!! *cough*!! Ya can bate a hot toddy sitting at a winters fire to kill the cold!!

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    May 13th 2015, 7:20 AM

    “We need the government to be innovative …”

    And that’s where I stopped reading.

    54
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    Mute Alan Corlett
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    May 13th 2015, 8:37 AM

    Whisky in brown envelopes, now there’s an idea :)

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    Mute Conor O'Neill
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    May 13th 2015, 6:35 AM

    Hate whiskey. Taste like petrol and makes people crazy

    27
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    Mute richard fennessy
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    May 13th 2015, 7:31 AM

    Ooh your loss Conor

    46
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    Mute Hipster Enda
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    May 13th 2015, 9:12 AM

    You’ve been drinking the wrong whiskey

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    May 13th 2015, 9:39 AM

    If it states “95 Octane” on the label you might want to think about changing your supplier.

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    Mute josecafe
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    May 13th 2015, 7:16 AM

    Yeah the good ole whiskey will fix this country like the good ole days

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    Mute Sloop John G
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    May 13th 2015, 7:40 AM

    Smells like teen spirits !!!

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    Mute Patrick Brompton
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    May 13th 2015, 10:02 AM

    An old Irish whiskey I would like to taste is “Tabby-toes” described by Molly Keane in a memoir called ‘The Athenry Country’ in her 1933 book called ‘Red Letter Days’. She writes’At an old Georgian house we dismounted from our horses, leading them around its wide-spread wings to the quiet stir of the stable yard, and presently sitting down to the best of all teas, eggs and bacon and potato cakes, preceded by a whiskey of peculiar excellence; an old liqueur brand extinct now, known as “Tabby-toes.” I cannot easily forget it. And through its mellowing warmth I can see again the strong and graceful lines of all the Chippendale and Sheraton furniture with which the dining room was crowded…’.

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    Mute Colm Odinson
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    May 13th 2015, 3:17 PM

    A big problem is just how “scabby” Irish whiskey looks compared to the Scottish variety.

    Scottish whiskey is all about single malts, produced in small quantities, and sold at a luxury price. It gives off an air of luxury, sophistication, even a bit of mystery. They trade off the perceived romance of the Scottish highlands.

    Irish Whiskey is dominated by a few big brands, who churn out fairly homogenised stuff. It just utterly lacks the taste, variety and image of Scottish whiskey.

    I’m sure the Irish variety can change, but it would require a lot of investment into small businesses and a fair amount of imagination into how it’s marketed.

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    Mute Big Yellow Crane
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    May 13th 2015, 10:59 PM

    Was just thinking that and that the brands which have disappeared up here; Coleraine, Dunvilles, Comber, didn’t exactly fire the imagination. But I’ve just read that Dunvilles is making a comeback with an Ards based distillery, Echlinville, releasing a batch under that name in 2016 so they must think there’s value in it.

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    Mute whereisspace
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    May 13th 2015, 11:10 AM

    Our great Irish-American family the Kennedy’s had a lot to do with the rise of the Scottish branded whiskies. People associate whiskey with the term “Scotch”, and a scotch in america is seen as an item of sophistication (notions! :-)) . This association of course travels internationally though the various american media outlets, films and tv shows that are sold throughout the world.

    Marketing has a lot to do with it, we’re a bit behind but I’m sure the Irish companies are doing their bit to make a positive change.

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    Mute Ian Aston
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    May 13th 2015, 12:25 PM

    Where can I buy those old Whiskey bottlles/jars from the picture?

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    Mute Ian Aston
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    May 13th 2015, 12:28 PM

    Ian, why has whiskey got a capital W and why can’t you spell bottles you dope?

    10
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