Some facts and figures about sanitation in India

• According to the 2011 World Health Organization (WHO) survey, over 600 million people, roughly 53 percent of Indian households do not have access to toilet facilities. It is the women and children of India who are paying the highest price in terms of health and safety. WHO an UNICEF report the number of people practicing defecation in the year 2021 was twice as high in 2000, at 764 million.
• Every year diarrhea and pneumonia kill 126,000 children due to diarrheal diseases: The connection between diarrhea and malnutrition is well established. Diarrhea is often caused by a lack of clean water for proper hand-washing. A lack of toilet facilities further exacerbates the problem as feces on the ground contribute to contaminated drinking water and water resources.
• Apart from the threat of assault and harassment, not being to access toilets has a serious implication on their health as it elevates chances of urinary tract and kidney infections.
• 61 percent of rural India and 10 percent of Urban India defecates in the open. Poor hygiene practices, like not washing hands after defecating, are common in poor and rural communities, making these areas especially susceptile to diseases.
• Hundreds of millions of people in the country end up defecating outside, which can spread many diseases including COVID-19.