28 May 2014: The UN Deputy Secretary General, Jan Eliasson, officially launched a campaign to help end the practice of open defecation and improve access to toilets and latrines. Over one billion people worldwide practice open defecation and 2.5 billion lack basic sanitation, with consequences for their dignity, health and security, particularly for women and girls.

The campaign aims to raise awareness on the reality of open defecation, which is poorly understood in areas of the world where open defecation is not an issue and an unpopular topic of conversation in places where people practice open defecation, according to the UN. The campaign urges people to search “open defecation” to learn about water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues and participate in solutions.

“I am here to talk about something the world chooses not to talk about,” Eliasson said at the launch. He stressed that addressing sanitation, the most lagging Millennium Development Goal (MDG), contributes to achieving five MDGs, noting that, as sanitation improves, child mortality decreases, maternal health improves and education rates improve because girls stay in school past puberty.

At the launch, Eliasson introduced Raya, a new Sesame Street Muppet, who will engage with children on proper latrine use and sanitation in Bangladesh, India and Nigeria. Raya called for “more toilets in schools” and reminded everyone to wear shoes when they go to the toilet and wash their hands.

“Ending open defecation is a human right and a matter of equity,” said Nicholas Alipui, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), during a panel discussion at the launch. He said ending open defecation would reduce incidences of diarrhea by 36%, further contributing to a reduction in deaths of children under five. Mark Neo, the UN Deputy Permanent Representative of Singapore, drew attention to the impact of open defecation on women and girls.

The campaign, which will run through 2015, builds on Eliasson’s Call to Action on Sanitation and efforts to accelerate achievement of the sanitation MDGs.

The UN Millennium Campaign and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) developed the campaign with the creative agency Mother and support from the UN Department of Information and contributions from UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WaterAid. [UN Press Release] [Eliasson Statement] [Campaign Website]