WaterAid has announced a $2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the global sanitation crisis: nearly two fifths of the world’s population do not have access to a toilet. Over the next two and a half years, WaterAid will use this contribution to drive political commitment and action in Ghana, India and Senegal by supporting initiatives led by those governments to increase access to basic sanitation services.
The World Health Organisation estimates that $220 billion would be returned to the global economy each year if the world were to achieve universal access to sanitation; yet financing for toilets and sanitation is abysmal in comparison to other development sectors such as health and education.
WaterAid firmly believes that governments have a responsibility to their citizens to ensure that toilets and sanitation are available to everyone.