The Crisis in the Classroom The State of the World’s Toilets 2018 WaterAid/Aisha Augie-Kuta WaterAid/Aisha WaterAid/Chileshe Chanda WaterAid/Chileshe WaterAid/Ernest Randriarimalala WaterAid/Ernest The Crisis in the Classroom: The State of the World’s Toilets 2018 The Crisis in the Classroom: The State of the World’s Toilets 2018 Top right: teacher Robinah Nankanja, 45, in her classroom at Kabowa Church of Uganda Primary School in Kampala: “I’m proud seeing my pupils becoming good Wherever they are in the world – London or Lagos – children ambassadors for are entitled to the human rights of sanitation, good health and sanitation and quality education.1,2 Through the UN Sustainable Development personal hygiene. Goals (SDGs) world leaders have promised to deliver these rights Education for everyone everywhere by 2030 – just over a decade from now.3 changes the But at current rates of progress these promises will be broken, perception that with many countries way off-track. girls are less able Kiyimba WaterAid/James Kiyimba WaterAid/James or less bright as One in three schools around the world don’t currently have compared decent toilets.4 And almost one in five primary schools and one to boys.” in eight secondary schools don’t have any toilets at all.5 Top left: Judith, Today, 620 million of the world’s schoolchildren – almost nine, washes twice the population of the USA – do not have decent school her hands at her toilets.6 For these young people, it’s normal to have to run home primary school in at breaktime to relieve themselves, use bushes on the school Kampala, Uganda: grounds, or miss lessons entirely because they are sick or on “The school provides us with their period. soap. After using This is more than an inconvenience. Every year diarrhoea the toilet we wash and intestinal infections together kill nearly 140,000 school- our hands with age children.7 And another 289,000 children are killed by dirty soap. Everyone water and poor sanitation before they are old enough to does it because start school.8 This is a crisis. it helps to keep away germs from It is not limited to schools. 2.3 billion people – one in three – our hands.” don’t have a basic household toilet9 – a number that has barely Right: Sanju, changed in two decades. And 892 million people still defecate 10 18, leads a village in the open. youth group in While everyone is affected, children are especially at risk. lessons on how to Growing up in communities without toilets exposes them to manage periods illnesses that could kill them. And repeated bouts of diarrhoea hygienically in increase their chances of being malnourished at a crucial stage Madhya Pradesh, India. in their development. Sanitation-related illnesses result in missed school days and lost potential for the millions of children still waiting for a toilet. The recent death of a five-year-old girl in South Africa, after falling through the rotten wooden floor of her school pit latrine into the sewage beneath, stirred the country’s government to promise to put decent toilets in all state schools within two years.11 But this is not an isolated incident. Around the world, poor toilets are killing children every day. We must act now. WaterAid/Ronny Sen WaterAid/Ronny 2 3 The Crisis in the Classroom: The State of the World’s Toilets 2018 The Crisis in the Classroom: The State of the World’s Toilets 2018 What is ‘basic’ In schools:13 ‘Basic’ sanitation The impact on children sanitation? School toilets, such as flush/pour-flush Everyone everywhere has the right to toilets, ventilated improved pit latrines, and young people ‘safely managed’ sanitation. Achieving composting toilets, and pit latrines with a this ambitious goal means first ensuring slab or platform, that are single-sex and no one lacks at least ‘basic’ sanitation. usable (available, functional and private) But what do these terms mean? at the time of the survey. How many schools have this? 12 Living without a basic toilet doors or locks are missing, young people In households: 66% threatens the health, safety and are vulnerable to bullying and violence ‘Safely managed’ sanitation ‘Limited’ sanitation by their classmates and adults. Girls are A hygienic household toilet where education of millions of children School toilets that are like a basic service particularly at risk of sexual violence when human waste is treated and safely and young people. but either not single-sex or not usable at using unsafe facilities at school. And disposed of. answering the call of nature in the open the time of the survey. Health How many people have this? can mean taking their chances with wild How many schools have this? 39%* / 2.9 billion In 2017, the world’s children (under animals like crocodiles and snakes. 12% fives) suffered 957 million episodes Where toilets are not accessible and ‘Basic’ sanitation of diarrhoea.17 When diarrhoea strikes, No sanitation appropriately designed, children with A hygienic household toilet, such as a children quickly become dehydrated and School toilets that don’t hygienically disabilities especially struggle to meet pour-flush latrine, where human waste more vulnerable to infection. This can separate human waste from contact with their needs safely and with dignity. flows into rivers or is emptied untreated be deadly. people, such as latrines over an open pit Facilities without ramps, enough space into the environment. or water, or no school toilets at all. Diarrhoea caused by dirty water and poor to turn a wheelchair, or handrails make it How many people have this? sanitation kills 289,000 children under five How many schools have this? impossible for many children to use the 29% / 2.2 billion each year.18 And, every year, diarrhoea 23% school toilets even where they do exist. and intestinal infections together kill ‘Limited’ sanitation nearly 140,000 children aged between Education A toilet that is like a basic service but What are the five and 14.19 Lives could be saved by Children without decent toilets at home shared between several households. Sustainable something as basic as a toilet, with clean and school struggle to complete their How many people have this? water and soap for handwashing. education. Repeatedly suffering from diarrhoea, they regularly miss school, 8% / 600 million Development Goals? If children do survive repeated bouts of causing them to fall behind in class. Not The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) diarrhoea, the prolonged undernutrition ‘Unimproved’ sanitation having toilets in the school grounds can are 17 global goals that world leaders can cause them to be malnourished A toilet that does not hygienically lead to anxiety and stress, discouraging have promised to achieve by 2030.14 Each and stunted. This means they are short separate human waste from contact with young people from attending. people, such as a latrine over an open pit SDG has associated targets and indicators for their age, and likely to struggle with Menstruating girls require single-sex or water. so that progress can be measured, and impaired emotional, social and cognitive governments held to account. development.20 Stunting is linked to toilets that are available, functional How many people have this? diarrhoeal diseases like cholera and and private, with water and soap, Among the SDGs is Goal 6 which aims 12% / 881 million polio, intestinal worms (soil-transmitted bins to dispose of sanitary materials, for universal access to ‘safely managed’ helminths) and environmental enteric and a drying area for washed sanitary ‘Open defecation’ water and sanitation for everyone dysfunction (when children’s intestines cloths. Young women who are unable People relieving themselves in open fields, everywhere.15 This means safe drinking don’t work properly).21 A quarter of all to manage their periods hygienically at near railway tracks, or in secluded areas. water at home, work and in public stunting is attributed to five or more school are more likely to stay at home, places, available whenever needed. And How many people do this? episodes of diarrhoea during the first leading to a higher risk of dropping out a private toilet, where faecal waste is 12% / 892 million two years of life.22 completely. Across South Asia, more than safely disposed of, with soap and water a third of girls miss school for between for handwashing. Safety one and three days a month during their SDG4 to ‘ensure inclusive and quality Inadequate school toilets are a risk to period.23 And one in ten girls in sub- education for all and promote lifelong children’s physical safety, whether it’s Saharan Africa miss school during their learning’ includes a target for building from poorly built structures, missing slabs menstrual cycle, adding up to as much and improving school facilities that are or overflowing sewage pits. Where lights, as 20% of the school year.24 *Percentages rounded to nearest whole number accessible to all, including decent toilets.16 4 5 The Crisis in the Classroom: The State of the World’s Toilets 2018 The Crisis in the Classroom: The State of the World’s Toilets 2018 1. Snapshot of struggle: Niger Countries where schools are 25 least likely to have decent toilets Country % schools % population Number Child deaths % children without without at least of children (under 5s) from who complete sanitation basic sanitation (under 17) dirty water and primary (2016)* at home (2015) without poor sanitation education26 a decent each year (most recent household (2015) year available) toilet (2017) Guinea-Bissau 80 78 697,450 700 29 Niger 76 87 9,809,100 11,500 28 76% of Comoros 68 66 241,854 50 77 schools without toilets* Solomon Islands 64 69 185,262 10 no data 72% of Mauritania 60 55 1,048,500 410 53 children don’t complete Somalia 60 84 4,836,400 5,300 no data primary Augie-Kuta WaterAid/Aisha Ethiopia 60 93 45,183,600 8,500 47 education Central African Decent toilets Niger, at the edge of the Sahara, is one of the world’s least 59 75 1,864,360 900 no data Republic at home for all developed countries.