Around the world, undernutrition and lack of safe water and sanitation are major challenges. One in three people – 2.4 billion individuals globally – lack access to a toilet. Access to toilets, safe water, vaccines, and simple interventions like oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc have the power to prevent 361,000 diarrheal deaths per year among children under age 5.

The theme for World Toilet Day this year is “Toilets and Health: Better Sanitation for Better Nutrition,” drawing our attention to the need for better sanitation to improve nutrition and health for everyone, everywhere. Today, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are releasing the jointly prepared document, Improving Nutrition Outcomes with Better Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: Practical Solutions for Policies and Programs [PDF, 2.4 MB], which summarizes the benefits of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions to improve nutrition. 

Improved access to water and sanitation is critical to achieving other development objectives such as health, nutrition, gender equality, education, and the eradication of poverty. This World Toilet Day, let’s remember that universal access to toilets is one of many necessary steps to ending preventable deaths. 

Learn more

• Read the joint WHO, UNICEF, and USAID document [PDF, 2.4 MB], released today.
• Learn about USAID WASH and nutrition programming.
• ImpactBlog: What Does Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Have to Do With Nutrition? Everything.
• Success story: Microfinance in Indonesia Makes Building Toilets Affordable, Boosting Health Outcomes.
• Join @USAIDGH on Twitter today at 10 AM EST using #SanitationIs.
• Read how sanitation enlivens West Africa's economy.
• Check out Real Impact: Kenya - African Cities for the Future

Photo credit: Kendra Helmer/USAID