This article was contributed by Børge Brende, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs.


At this year’s Global Citizen Festival, Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced her commitment to increasing Norway’s funding for water and sanitation. The right to sanitation is an essential component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and fundamental for a life in dignity.

Investing in water and sanitation creates many benefits beyond simply increasing access to toilets, and right now it’s one of the most critical areas to invest in. As a matter of fact, the World Bank Water and Sanitation Program estimates the annual cost of not investing in water and sanitation worldwide at USD 170 billion, due to increased health costs, reduced productivity, lost time and poor water quality. 

Aside from reducing costs, investing in sanitation would improve the lives of billions - literally. As of 2015, roughly 2.4 billion people do not have access to improved sanitation and almost 1 billion defecate in the open. These statistics are appalling - and they have some very serious ramifications.

One example is the situation in schools. A lack of safe, separate and private sanitation and washing facilities in schools is one of the main factors preventing girls from attending school, particularly when menstruating. When girls miss several days of school, they are unable to achieve the same level of education as boys. This can then affect their job prospects later in life, furthering the gap between men and women. 

What’s more, women and girls are also at a greater risk of violence and sexual assault when they are forced to relieve themselves in the open. 

To add to the list, the health and lives of more than half the world's children are constantly threatened from living in an unsanitary environment. When children are exposed to germs as a result of open defecation, they are at a risk of malnutrition due to diarrheal disease. Diarrhoea is the most common cause of childhood illness and the second leading killer disease among children worldwide.  

The good news is that these problems can be addressed with the right approach. To begin with, the world needs sanitation champions to promote increased investments in sanitation facilities and push for a change in behaviour. The challenges do not just lie in a lack of funding, they are rooted in attitudes and cultures. We tend to dislike talking about things like toilets, diarrhoea and menstrual hygiene - but these issues cannot be ignored.

We also need to widen focus beyond the home - toilets are needed in schools, clinics, workplaces, markets and other public areas.

That is why World Toilet Day is so important. It’s an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to the importance of toilets, and the first step is to talk about it. Through its support for the important work of organisations like UNICEF, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, and Norwegian Church Aid, Norway stands ready to play its part.

Editorial

Defeat Poverty

Norway speaks up for sanitation on World Toilet Day