Improper toilet hygiene and sanitation practices can lead to diseases like diarrhea, the fourth-leading cause of death among children below five years old, according to the multinational company Unilever, which yesterday launched a “1 Million Clean Toilets Movement.”
The campaign, to be conducted in partnership with United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the Philippine Public Health Association, “aims to encourage a culture of awareness on the importance of maintaining proper toilet sanitation.
In a press conference, Unilever said that “over 90 percent” of Filipinos were unaware of proper toilet hygiene and sanitation practices. However, they did not present or go into the details of their study.
“Our objective is to educate and help Filipinos develop the habits of proper toilet hygiene and sanitation to reduce the incidence of diseases,” said Jay Go, Unilever homecare marketing director.
He said the company would conduct training activities on the proper servicing of restrooms by city service employees, gas station service personnel and various school and hospital sanitation staffers.
The campaign will be started in Manila and eventually extend to other areas of Metro Manila and nearby provinces, Go added.
World Toilet Day
“Our target is to reach one million clean toilets. People will be asked to pledge to conscientiously maintain their own clean, safe and hygienic bathrooms by the next World Toilet Day on Nov. 19, 2014,” he said.
Individuals may pledge support for the campaign via the Domex Philippines Facebook page (facebook.com/DomexPhilippines).
For every pledge received, Unilever, through its brand Domex, will donate P5 to Unicef’s sanitation program, Go said.
Unicef WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) specialist Dr. Mike Gnilo said over one billion people in the world still practice open defecation because they do not have access to toilets. This is one very risky sanitation practice, he added.
“We currently have 7.5 million open defecators in the Philippines, mostly in rural areas, and another 17 million who don’t have hygienic toilets or are still sharing a toilet with their neighbors,” he said.
Gnilo said Unicef’s goal is to completely eliminate open defection by changing people’s behavior and promoting the demand for sanitation across the country.
Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, in response to the campaign, said he hoped the movement would reduce the city’s P2-billion healthcare program expenditures.
Apart from Unicef, Unilever and PPHA, the campaign is also in partnership with the local government of Manila and Pilipinas Shell.