United Nations recognizes first World Toilet Day

American Standard donates hundreds of thousands of toilet systems to Bangladesh.

Today marks the 12th annual World Toilet Day, a day meant to help raise awareness about a critical global health issue and to support the organizations working to create change. Nearly 40% of the world’s population (2.5 billion people), lacks access to safe sanitation. Every day, 2,000 children die from diseases caused by this lack of proper sanitation.

This is the first year that November 19th was officially designated World Toilet Day by the United Nations General Assembly. American Standard is celebrating this recognition by serving as an official sponsor of the WASH United Celebrate the Toilet Campaign today, and by releasing a progress report on its Flush For Good campaign.

American Standard is also donating almost a half million life-improving SaTo sanitary toilet pans throughout Bangladesh, which are expected to improve the lives of 2.5 million residents of Bangladesh during 2013 and 2014 with the help of program partners BRAC, WaterAid and Save the Children. Including a new initiative underway for Sub-Saharan Africa, American Standard expects to provide sanitation solutions for a total of 5.5 million people by 2017.