The international agencies need to fund ads in local newspapers of the developing countries and, the ads should be directed in sensitizing the decision-makers, politicians, local government and public health engineering department; raising awareness among people; motivate NGOs and create demand for sanitation. Initial kick-start is required. Repeated ads (advocacy)would create impact, leading possibly to actions.

F H Mughal

It needs to be explained what international agencies can do. Surely they are not going to provide good latrines for everybody; maybe a demonstration here and there. People who had no or bad latrines are not going to maintain new latrines unless they are well organised among them. If government installs new latrines they also become responsible for the removal of the waste; and eventually dump it in the nearest river or landfill, only shifting the problem.
Sanitation and health issues should be part of primary and secondary education and interest in the matter can be raised by the public press and news agencies. Also the relation between health and wealth should be made clear.
NGO's can provide information packages on sanitation and sustainable solutions. Improving latrines for housing projects needs to be done by the user inhabitants. Here guidance is required for secitizens in how to organise them in creating better toilet systems. That includess social communication management, finances and construction technology. The development and explanation of sustainable UDDT or biogas systems is required, so local governments do not stimulate waterwasting sewerage systems and are not economicaly able to clean up the sewage.

The problem is that the sanitation, or for that matter, the latrines, have a very low priority on the agenda of local government. As such, no positive action or response is expected of the local government. That is why I suggested help from the international agencies.

F H Mughal

F H Mughal wrote: International aid agencies should come forward and fund these ads on a massive scale.

Well, maybe not International aid agencies, but a public shame campaign by the local government would be ok. Or even better: someone who provides clean toilets for a fee so that people see what is possible. Success is always better than guilt management.

dear Cagiea
Its also what is inside the toilet

Yes, that is true. I have seen pathetic conditions of toilets in rural areas, in schools and even in offices! They truly are the health hazard and, sources of infections. I think, this can be dealt with by ads in locals newspapers - this will sensitize the people and the institutions. International aid agencies should come forward and fund these ads on a massive scale.

F H Mughal

As the World Toilet day draws near let us not only focus on the 2.6 billion people without toilets. There is another category of people who require special consideration, these are people assumed to be having toilets moreover in actual sense they do not have toilets. Instead the latrines they have are posing a health danger not only to the owners but even the surrounding community. We need to act.

Please look at the picture attached to understand my argument