Everybody poops. There, I said it. It’s a topic that not many like to talk about, but that is all about to change because today is World Toilet Day.
Did you know that 2.6 billion people — about a third of the world’s population — do not have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet? The world is largely off track to meet UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, which aims to halve the proportion of the population without sustainable access to basic sanitation by 2015.
Ugandan woman scooping water from an unsafe source. Photo courtesy of RuralAid.
I know that 2.6 billion sounds like a big number, and we know that the MDGs are important, but for many of us living in developed countries, open defecation is simply out of our realm of comprehension. However, for many people living in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, this is a daily reality.
Globally, diarrhea is a leading cause of illness and death, with 88 percent of diarrheal deaths due to a lack of access to sanitation facilities compounded by unsafe drinking water and the unavailability of water for hygiene. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation — that’s 1.5 million preventable deaths each year.
Not only does diarrhea kill more children each year than malaria or HIV/AIDS combined, but it causes millions of adults and children to miss work or school, which has enormous social, economic and political consequences. It is estimated that every $1 spent on water and sanitation generates returns of $8 in saved time, increased productivity and reduced health care costs.
For World Toilet Day, don’t be shy; help spread the word about the bathroom habits of the 2.6 billion people globally who lack access to basic sanitation. And, if you’re feeling extra bold, find an event near you to take part in The Big Squat — “a movement for the toilet-less.”
A few weeks, ago, we posted a link to a map called “The True Size of Africa,” an eye-opening infographic with one main message: Africa is HUGE. No wonder it became a worldwide viral sensation. Looking at a regular old map of the world, no one could ever guess that Africa is the size of China, the United States, India, Japan and eight other countries and regions combined.
But of course, the Economist had to fact-check it (and rightly so — I mean, it’s a pretty big statement) in their fittingly titled article last week, “The true true size of Africa.” The publication argues about various cartography methods even tries its hand at making a new version of the map. But the bottom line is still the same: “Africa is much bigger than it looks on most maps.”
Lauren Pfeifer from our policy team wanted to make sure that we included this bit, “Why are we changing maps?” from the West Wing, which is apparently “during the ‘Big Block of Cheese Day’ episode” where “they want to flip the map upside down.” I’ve never watched the show, but I trust that it’s great. Enjoy!
It’s hard for me to believe ONE Vote 2010 has come to an end. After four months of working with field organizers and ONE members like you in more than 12 Senate races, I’m proud to say that our efforts have paid off.
You took the time to educate candidates about ending extreme poverty and preventable disease. In the spirit of non-partisanship, you met with Democratic candidates 87 times, Republican candidates 88 times and Independent candidates 6 times.
You signed up more than 3,000 new ONE members and attended more than 200 events — I can’t thank you enough for getting out on the campaign trail and giving a voice to ONE’s issues. Take a look at this video and see the results of your hard work!
We have some great news — we’re extending the deadline for our Next Top T-Shirt challenge to Monday, October 25 at 12:00 PM EST. So, if you were thinking about starting your design the night before (or if you roll like me, the day of) you’ve got a little more time to add last-minute details and make your submission shiny and perfect. And if you weren’t even thinking about submitting a design, well — here’s your chance to think again.
Here’s the deal. After Monday’s deadline, we’ll narrow down all the submissions to the top three, then ask you guys to choose your favorite. The winning design will then be printed on T-shirts made in Africa, with 100 percent organic cotton. And finally, we’ll promote it to our 2 million members around the world to ooh and ah over or purchase.
Our T-shirts have been worn by everyone from Maroon 5 to Daughtry, and when people wear them, they’re making a powerful public declaration that says, “Hey, I stand with ONE in the fight against extreme poverty.” So…no pressure. Good luck!
Barb Barrar with Fortunata and Florida in New York City.
I’ve been working with ONE for a few years now, and over that time period, I’ve met members from all over the country. One of our best members is Barbra “Barb” Barrar. She’s passionate about ONE and is always up for going above and beyond when promoting education, awareness, and advocacy about our issues.
Whether it be hosting an event and talking to people about the work we do or meeting with her congressmen and senators, Barb truly understands the importance of using her voice when so many others don’t have the opportunity to do so.
We made Barb a congressional district leader earlier this year and it has been amazing and inspiring to see the work she has done on behalf of the world’s poorest people. In order to get to know her better, here’s a Q and A I conducted with her earlier this week:
I’m here in New York, participating in the Global Fund’s replenishment meeting, and it’s been a busy morning with donors from the north and south making pledges to the Global Fund over the next three years. I’ll send along a detailed analysis from ONE’s perspective at the end of the day, but I wanted you to hear some major news from us first: The U.S. has just announced that it will pledge $4 billion over the next three years.
Ambassador Eric Goosby, head of the U.S.’ AIDS programs, said on behalf of the Obama Administration:
“We strongly support the Global Fund’s collaborative, country-driven, performance-based approach to fighting the three diseases, and we are proud to be the Global Fund’s largest donor.”
As you know, we’ve been campaigning hard with your support over the last few months for $6 billion over three years, so this obviously falls short of what we had called for, and we are disappointed. We recognize that this is still a solid increase given the current economic environment, and we are glad to see the U.S. make its first-ever three-year pledge, but this funding level does not put us on track to meet two major health goals by 2015: the virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission and the end of malaria deaths.
This month, we’ll be featuring blog posts that help illustrate the Global Fund’s effect on programs that fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria around the world — and the people suffering from these diseases.
Last month, we asked our friends on Facebook and Twitter to send in their most burning questions about the Global Fund — or more broadly, international health aid and development. Here’s a roundup of some of those questions, answered by Todd Summers, ONE’s resident global health policy expert:
How does the Global Fund prioritize spending, programming, and allocation of resources? - Catherine Kustanczy and @lylinaguas, via Facebook and Twitter
One of the great features of the Global Fund is that it responds to the needs of eligible countries rather than making them fit in with Global Fund priorities.
So there are no specific allocations of its resources, just a general policy that it should work to support comprehensive strategies for the three diseases. Going forward, there’s a shift from funding discrete projects to supporting comprehensive national strategies to improve global health, and this will allow the Global Fund to have more of a role in ensuring that countries are spending money on the right things and doing so efficiently.
What indicators does the Global Fund ask countries to track? Are they different from those set out in PEPFAR? Is money tied to those specific indicators? - Keri McDaniel Miller, via Facebook
Indicators for success are key to tracking progress, both for the countries (to ensure that they’re achieving what they need to save lives) and for the Global Fund (to ensure that its funding is being used effectively).
The specific indicators come from a set recommended by the Global Fund in its Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit, and are memorialized in the proposals and grant agreements.
Countries must demonstrate progress against those indicators in order to get payments, with results independently verified by outside reviewers called Local Fund Agents. A key challenge is to make the indicators reflect real improvements in health. For example, it’s better to measure people newly diagnosed with HIV or tuberculosis than just to measure people tested.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
