World Toilet Day launched

By GRACE AUKA
WORLD Toilet Day for the first time was launched and observed in Papua New Guinea on Monday at Bavaroko Primary School in the National Capital District.
More than 300 students, teachers and school board representatives, health department, Eda Ranu, World Health Organisation and United Nations’ International Children’s Education Fund gathered to mark the event .
Deputy secretary for Health Dr Paison Dakulala stressed the importance of using a toilet, washing hands after using the toilet and maintenance of toilet facilities.
Dakulala said World Toilet Day was created to raise global awareness of the daily struggle for proper sanitation that 2.5 billion people continue to
face.
He said the vision was to draw attention so every home and family, institution and community had a toilet and knew how to use it properly and care
for their toilets.
“Lack of proper sanitation and clean water can lead to outbreak of diseases such as diarrhoea and the recent cholera outbreak being experienced in the country,” he said.
“Although communities in different settings have their own ways of disposing excretion, proper and safe ways must be identified.
“With help from their local and political leaders, they can build affordable and sustainable sanitation facilities for proper disposal,” he said.
With the theme “I use a toilet to excrete and you”, the students at Bavaroko were given the message that about 85% of the seven million people in the country use basic
toilets.
Dakulala said since its inception in 2001, World Toilet Day had become an important platform to demand action from governments.
“Bavaroko is a health promoting school under the healthy island concept however, the school’s toilet needs to be properly cleaned and the students must be urged to use the toilet accordingly,” he said.