Why World Toilet Day should matter

NAIROBI: It has been more than 160 years since the link between sewage-polluted drinking water and cholera was first established. And yet from December 2014 to August 2016, more than 17,000 people were hospitalised due to cholera in Kenya. It is a stark reminder that inequalities persist, and that sanitation and clean drinking water are still of crucial importance if Kenya is to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals.

World Toilet Day — which aims to push sanitation to the centre of development agenda — is therefore key for Kenya and for accomplishing the country’s Vision 2030 ambitions. Today, some 5.6 million Kenyans have no toilet whatsoever, and only Busia County has been certified free of people defecating in the open, an indicator of extreme poverty. Counties like Isiolo and Siaya, have made good progress, but there is work to do before Kenya achieves that status.

The cost of lack of sanitation cannot be ignored. A report titled The True Cost of Poor Sanitation estimated that the economic losses for Kenya due to poor sanitation amount to Sh57 billion per year. This report, based this estimate on the costs due to the loss of productivity from sanitation-related illness, coupled with the cost of treatment. Costs borne by tax payers as well as patients themselves.

There is clear evidence that toilets keep children healthy and in school. Schools without private and hygienic toilets mean many adolescent girls choose to stay at home for several days each month during menstruation. And women who deliver their babies at health centres which have no or poor sanitation put themselves — and their newborns —at risk of infection.

As such, now more than ever, we need to respond to Jan Eliasson, the UN Deputy Secretary General’s “Call to Action on Sanitation.” He urges all actors – government, civil society, business and international organisations – to commit to measurable action and to mobilise the resources to rapidly increase access to basic sanitation.

In rural areas, the top priority must be to eliminate the practice of open defecation. It is critical that all county governments earmark dedicated sanitation budgets, and implement time-bound ‘open-defecation free’ action plans. Similarly, in urban areas: while there is no magic bullet to tackle this complex problem, there are examples of innovative solutions that show promise, such as pay-per-use public toilets, and collection and composting systems. Without prioritising the necessary infrastructure, Kenya would be at risk of losing its sound footing towards continued economic development and prosperity.

For Unicef and the World Bank, addressing the adequate disposal of human waste and improving sanitation facilities remain a high priority, and vital for Kenya’s success on the world stage and in achieving the SDGs. We are committed to supporting the Government to realise the health benefits, economic opportunities and — most importantly — the human dignity that proper sanitation provides.