NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, December 19, 2013

There are more than 620 million people (half of the population of India) who defecate in the open. Open defecation is a major environmental and health issue that contributes significantly to needless deaths due to diarrhoea and stunting in children. It is a risk to the safety of women and deprives them of basic dignity on a daily basis. In spite of the tragic consequences, there is a lack of support to eliminate this completely from the country.

Unicef India has initiated a digital campaign called ’Take Poo to the Loo” that focuses on eliminating open defecation and creating awareness of the same to the masses.The 3 month campaign initiative targets the urban youth largely so as to make them aware of the consequences of open defecation which then will help them to bring about a change in the existing situation and norms in the country.