November 19th is recognized by the United Nations as “World Toilet Day,” a day dedicated to the eradication of the global sanitation crisis and fulfilling the world population’s human right to access to sanitation. World Toilet Day was started by philanthropist Jack Sim from Singapore after recognizing the need for conversation and a global organization focused on the sanitation crisis.
The sanitation crisis affects about 4.2 billion people worldwide-- more than half the world’s population. Over 673 million people still practice open defecation worldwide, and at least 2 billion people actively use a water source contaminated with feces. Additionally, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Center (NCBI), at least 1.77 billion people use “pit-toilets” as their primary means of relieving themselves.