Dr. Wayne Leung and Dr. Marie Kim: Access to safe toilets and bathrooms is vital for both health and dignity

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Yes for the toilets! Today, November 19, is World Toilet Day , a day to celebrate toilets, to raise awareness of the fact that 3.6 billion people, almost half of the world’s population, do not have toilets and do not even have access to latrines with safely managed sanitation systems.

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Access to safe toilets and sanitation systems is an economic issue, a political issue, and a question of what we value and how we choose to use our resources to support international and local development.

Access to toilets and safe sanitation is especially a problem in low-income countries, where it contributes to the spread of diarrheal diseases. The burden is tremendous: each year, more than half a million children die from diarrheal diseases.

On the other hand, the benefits of investing in a proper sanitation system are immense. Every $ 1 invested in basic sanitation generates gains of up to $ 5 in saved medical costs and increased productivity.

Last year, a Shigella outbreak in downtown Vancouver reminded us of the importance and sometimes precarious access to toilets and safe sanitation. Shigella is a bacteria that can cause severe and often bloody diarrhea, spread through contact with contaminated water, food, and surfaces.

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The source of the outbreak was unclear, but it primarily affected homeless adults living in the Downtown Eastside, many of whom needed to be hospitalized. This outbreak highlighted the need for access to safe toilets and toilets for health and dignity. Restrictions on access to indoor public spaces related to COVID-19 precautions have made it even more difficult to find safe toilets to use.

In countries like India, where more than 300 million people do not have access to toilets, this is also a women’s rights issue. Open defecation can be dangerous for women and girls in these countries. The leering stares from strangers and the associated embarrassment can mean that they often wait until dark to go to the bathroom and face the risk of violence, assault, or rape. Menstruation is also a big problem, causing many girls to drop out of school.

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Access to safe health and sanitation services can help women and girls around the world reach their full potential and protect them from gender-based violence.

Climate change, floods, droughts and rising sea levels are serious threats to sanitation systems around the world. Floods can damage toilets and overwhelm sanitation systems, spreading human waste into communities and food crops.

Globally, 80 percent of the wastewater generated by society returns to the ecosystem without being treated or reused. Sustainable sanitation systems have the potential to make productive use of waste to power agriculture safely and reduce capture emissions for greener energy.

Today, as you sit comfortably on your toilet, pause to thank the comfort and safety, and consider those who do not have access to flush toilets or safe latrines. Everyone should have access to a toilet or latrine with a safe sanitation system. It is a human right, along with clean water and safe housing.

We now collectively have the means to make restrooms available to everyone. We only need political will and strategic investments.

Dr. Wayne Leung and Dr. Marie Kim are physicians who work at St. Paul Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital.

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