Durban to host World Toilet Summit

2012-03-16 18:01

Johannesburg - South Africa will host the 12th annual World Toilet Summit in Durban in December 2012, the SA Toilet Organisation (Sato) said on Friday.

The summit, a World Toilet Organisation (WTO) event, is expected to attract over 1 000 delegates and exhibitors to Durban.

It will focus on human rights and health and hygiene.

Sato and the WTO aim to improve the quality of human life and to ensure dignity through the provision of adequate sanitation solutions for all people.

"It is estimated that up to 2.6 billion people throughout the world do not have access to proper sanitation," the statement said.

Children under the age of 5 are particularly vulnerable as a result of inadequate sanitation.

"Every 15 seconds a child under the age of 5 years dies from a diarrhoea-related illness. In a modern society this would be deemed unacceptable, yet millions of African children face this disease every day," said Alfie Heeger, founder of Sato.

The summit would not only highlight the problems associated with a lack of toilets, but would also adopt resolutions to achieve sanitation goals, he said.

"Access to water and sanitation by all Africans is no longer a debatable issue, but a fundamental human right."

The summit will focus on the sanitation-related problems facing Africa and the plight of 600 million African people, mostly women and children, who do not have access to proper toilet facilities.

About 11% of the world's population remains without access to safe drinking water, and billions are without sanitation facilities.

- SAPA