For many people across the globe, having a good flush is still not an option.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 out of three, or approximately 2.4 billion people all over the globe still do not have adequate sanitation facilities. This includes 946 million citizens who are still left to defecate outside.

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The WHO report "Progress on sanitation and drinking water: 2015 update and MDG assessment" also stated that 7 out of 10 people in rural areas have no access to clean toilets. 9 out of 10 people there are still defecating in the open. The most affected people are said to be from South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Since 1990, around 2.1 billion people have gained access to better sanitation facilities. This improvement, however, still missed the reported target in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by almost 700 million people.

Moreover, MDG's target of improved sanitation was 77 percent of the world's population, while today, the world fell short with only 68 percent, as reported by WHO.

This issue, however, is not only a matter of proper sanitation, it is also about health security from water-related diseases.

Director of the WHO Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health Dr. Maria Neira said, "Until everyone has access to adequate saniation facilities, the quality of water supplies will be undermined and too many people will continue to die from waterborne and water-related diseases."

"To benefit human health it is vital to further accelerate progress on sanitation," she added, "particularly in rural and underserved areas."

In line with this, the United Nations (UN) is said to draft new Sustainable Development Goals by September. They are expected to improve sanitation facilities and altogether remove defecation in the open by 2030.

Meanwhile, UN is gearing up for World Toilet Day on November 19 with the theme "Equality, Dignity and the Link Between Gender-Based Violence and Sanitation."

The World Toilet Day this year eyes to address the lack of privacy in toilets caused by inadequate sanitation facilities. This campaign highlights the continuous threat of sexual violence and the lack of proper management of menstrual hygiene-all rooting from the lack of proper toilets.

TagsToilet, WHO, UN, Millennium Development Goal