A shocking new image reveals how one Scotland's most cherished bodies of water would look if we had to endure the same sanitary conditions as 2.6 billion people worldwide.
Released by Domestos to mark the launch of tomorrow's World Toilet Day (WTD), the picture reveals how poor toilet hygiene would devastate Scotland's magnificent waters. However, for one-third of the world's population, images such as this are a reality, as they are forced to live without access to hygienic toilet facilities, which contaminate their water supply.
The World Toilet Organisation (WTO), which organises the annual WTD, is a global non-profit organisation committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide and dispelling the taboos surrounding toilet hygiene. To celebrate the importance of toilet hygiene and raise awareness of the horrific outcomes for those who live without basic sanitary facilities, Domestos has created a number of images to show how iconic Scottish landmarks would look in similar conditions.
"As the leading experts in toilet hygiene," said David Titman, brand manager for Domestos UK, "Domestos is committed to help solve the global sanitation crisis and aims help one billion people take action to improve their health and well being by 2020. In the UK we take clean toilet facilities for granted, yet sadly for 42 per cent of the world's population unsanitary toilet facilities and lack of hygiene is the cause of life-threatening illnesses that can actually be easily prevented – providing the means to good hygiene is the best preventative medicine."
The images show the devastating effects that limited or nonexistent sanitary toilet facilities would have on Scottish waters. Areas of outstanding natural beauty such as Loch Lomond, or Windermere in the English Lake District, would be nothing more than sewage dumping grounds without the UK's efficient sewage systems. However, luckily for Scots, this is not a reality – and unlike the 2.6 billion people globally, we are not forced to bath, wash and cook in these awful conditions.
As part of their ongoing pledge to address the global sanitation issue, Domestos has also announced the worldwide roll-out of the Domestos Toilet Academies, starting with a pilot academy in Vietnam, opening next year. The scheme will help provide sustainable and long-term solutions to toilet hygiene that benefit local societies and help stimulate the local economies.
"We understand that the answer is not simply 'parachuting' toilets into people's lives," David Titman said, "but providing ongoing support to break down the taboos around personal hygiene in some of the target local communities. Through the launch of Domestos Toilet Academies we hope to radically improve sanitation by educating on the benefits of better sanitation and the importance of cleaner facilities."
Poor toilet facilities and sanitation contributes to the death of approximately 1.5 billion children under the age of five every year due to easily preventable disease, and is the root cause to over 133 million cases of high-intensity intestinal worm infections.
"Having access to a clean and functioning toilet is something that many people take for granted," said Jack Sim, founder of the WTO. "In the past few years, progress has been made in Vietnam toward improving sanitation; however there is still a long way to go. By working in partnership with Domestos, we can effectively pool resources and expertise to work towards a shared goal for improved sanitation and create a long-term, focused solution that reaches the people that need it most."
– Domestos Toilet Academies, in association with the WTO, will aim to radically improve sanitation and reduce the spread of disease that currently kills 4,000 children every day due to poor water, sanitation and hygiene, with the aim of reaching 100 billion people by 2020.
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