Lack of toilets causes some of the world’s most destructive diseases. Pneumonia and diarrhea, two sanitation-related illnesses, are the leading killers of children in the world today by a landslide.

Author Rose George notes in her book on sanitation that the number of children who have died from diarrhea in the last decade exceeds the total number of people killed by armed conflict since the Second World War.

By increasing coverage rates for sanitation and hygiene interventions in low-income countries, we could significantly decrease this staggering burden and make major progress toward the Millennium Development Goals.

Return on investment in sanitation can reach $34 per $1 invested; the problem is generating that investment.

Groups around the world have started to shine a spotlight on the sanitation crisis, which desperately needs be addressed.

Here is a news story on what groups did in Washington DC on World Toilet Day 2008.

For more information on what you can do to help solve the worlds sanitation crisis, please visit these websites:

http://www.globalwaternetwork.org/
http://esa.un.org/iys/docs/IYS%20PRESS%20KIT.pdf
http://www.wateraid.org/uk/get_involved/world_toilet_day/default.asp
http://www.path.org
http://www.waterforpeople.org/site/PageServer
http://www.nrdc.org/international/safewater.asp
http://www.wsscc.org/

Please also see these additional resources from Water Advocates:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wateradvocates/
http://www.wateradvocates.org/presreleases.htm