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Open defecation

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Open defecation is the practice of defecating outside and in public, in and around your local community, as a result of no access to toilets, latrines or any kind of improved sanitation. It currently affects one billion people in the developing world, or 15% of the global population. It is a practice widely considered to be at the heart of issues around sanitation worldwide.

Practice

Open defecation is a widespread problem in the developing world. India constitutes almost 60% of the practice, with countries throughout Asia and Africa also contributing to the issue. The practice is almost exclusively associated with areas of extreme poverty.

Health impact

A single gram of human faeces contains as much as 10,000,000 viruses, 1,000,000 bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs. When ingested it can therefore lead to typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, polio, pneumonia, fatal worm infestation, trachoma, stunted physical development and impaired cognitive function. It makes open defecation a lead cause of diarrheal death; 2,000 children under the age of five die every day, one every 40 seconds, from diarrhea.

Gender inequality

A huge number of girls leave education as they reach puberty, as the shame of having no private place away from their classmates during menstruation is too much to bear. One in three women in the developing world will be affected by harassment, violence and in some cases rape as a result of having to leave their homes after dark to find a place to go to the toilet. 44 million pregnant women will suffer worm infection as a result of poor sanitation every year.

See also

References

  1. "OpenDefecation.org". 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2014-05-28.
  2. "Sanitation | International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015". Un.org. 2013-07-24. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  3. "On World Toilet Day, World Bank Warns Over 600 Million Indians Defecate In The Open". Huffingtonpost.com. 2013-11-19. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  4. "Toilets - The Facts - New Internationalist". Newint.org. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  5. "Open Defecation and Childhood Stunting in India: An Ecological Analysis of New Data from 112 Districts". Plos One. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  6. "WHO | Diarrhoeal disease". Who.int. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  7. "UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa - Gender - Gender and water, sanitation and hygiene(WASH)". Unicef.org. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  8. Tewary, Amarnath (2013-05-09). "BBC News - India Bihar rapes 'caused by lack of toilets'". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  9. "Intestinal Worms". End.org. 2014-02-13. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
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