Bill & Melinda Gates have been doing tremendous work through their foundation. One of their key focuses is water, sanitation & hygiene. First a few facts:
1. The western "flush" toilet was invented in 1775 by a Scottish mathematician and watch maker named Alexander Cummings. It has been more than 230 years, but the basic "flush" toilet hasn't undergone any change.
2. Worldwide there are 2.5 billion people (close to 40% of the world's population) without access to safe sanitation. About 1 billion people defecate in the open and another 1 billion use pit latrines.
3. Diarrheal diseases are caused when food and water mix with fecal matters. Diarrheal diseases are responsible for 1.5 million annual deaths globally which is more than annual deaths from AIDS and malaria combined.
4. It requires on an average 3.5 gallons of water to flush each time.If
every person on the planet flushes daily than the total daily requirement is a
mind boggling 24.5 billion gallons of water.
Also, there are too many road blocks to developing flush toilets such as electricity, sewer system and plumbed water in many of the world's developing countries including India. Bill & Melinda Gates initiated 'reinvent the toilet challenge" and offered $42 million who came with a new kind of toilet system that does NOT require electricity, sewer system and water costs less than 5 cents a day for use. The culmination of the challenge led to some very fascinating findings. Click on the links below:
Fact sheet - Institutions Receiving Grants
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