Access to safely managed sanitation is considered a basic human right, yet 4.2 billion people, over half of the world’s population, are living without access to safe sanitation services. The devastating effects of the global sanitation crisis have deepened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – and at a time when the need for sanitation is at its greatest, but accessibility for the most vulnerable is at its lowest.

Solutions to the global sanitation crisis can be generated by a multilateral approach, blending the expertise, research and support of the private sector with the focus and structure of the public sector to enable innovative local enterprises to deliver long-term, desirable solutions. This approach is increasingly being implemented, with World Toilet Day highlighting a number of examples of businesses, enterprises and public sector stakeholders working together to deliver lasting responses to the sanitation crisis.