Don’t waste a good investment

What is the value of human waste? Investing in sanitation generates a 1 to 9 return on investment!

In addition to economic growth… Investing in sanitation and hygiene ensures the dignity of the population. We can all contribute to a wealthier and healthier society. What Good Dignity Practices can you support to increase the Gross Domestic Product of your country?

Return on Investment - HEALTH INVESTING IN SANITATION AND HYGIENE PAYS HUGE DIVIDENDS IN THE HEALTH SECTOR If everyone had access to adequate sanitation and water services, the world’s health sectors would save around $12 billion every year. Adverse health impacts of poor sanitation cost India 4,6% of its GDP. Sanitation and hygiene promotion are the most cost effective of any health intervention - $11 and $3 per DALY averted. However, many countries spend less than 0.5% of their GDP on sanitation and water.

What are your Good Dignity Practices? Ensure that the budget allocated for sanitation and hygiene matches, or exceeds, the costs of poor health resulting from inadequate services. Support programmes that encourage people to adopt good hygiene practices. Convince your colleagues that investments in sanitation pay off in lower healthcare costs. Argue the case that the health of the nation depends on sanitation.

Return on Investment - PRODUCTIVITY INVESTING IN SANITATION FREES UP TIME AND INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY Proper sanitation and hygiene bring health benefits; and a healthy workforce increases productivity. Access to toilets and waterpoints frees up considerable time, especially for women. Meeting the MDG sanitation target would free up 20 billion working days worldwide each year. Increased productivity—from more productive workers to more productive fisheries—depends on better sanitation and water services.

What are your Good Dignity Practices? Recognize the value of people’s time by financing programmes that aim to increase the number of household toilets. Protect the productivity of vital sectors by safely managing human waste and avoiding contamination of water resources, fisheries and agricultural lands.

Return on Investment - EDUCATION INVESTING IN SANITATION AND HYGIENE LEADS TO HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION, WHICH IN TURN BRING HIGHER INCOMES AND BETTER HEALTH Higher levels of education are associated with increased levels of national economic growth. Realizing this economic growth potential depends in part on sanitation and hygiene in schools. Meeting the MDG target on sanitation and water would mean 270 million additional days of school attendance each year. Sanitation and hygiene facilities are especially important for girls, and a 1% increase in female education gives 0.37% increase in economic growth.

What are your Good Dignity Practices? Speed progress toward the MDG education targets by ensuring sanitation in schools. Make school sanitation a priority: schools are one of the best places to teach good hygiene. Ensure separate facilities for girls and boys.

Return on Investment - TOURISM INVESTING IN SANITATION IMPROVES THE ENVIRONMENT, ATTRACTING MORE TOURISTS Global tourism is a large and growing sector, accounting for 5% of the world’s economic activity. Tourism generates employment – currently around 6 to 7% of all jobs worldwide. Poor sanitary conditions affect safety, comfort, health and aesthetics and keep tourists away. WHERE WILL ALL THOSE TOURISTS GO?

What are your Good Dignity Practices? Prioritize sanitation, water services, and effective waste treatment to improve the desirability of your country as a tourist destination. Ensure a clean environment to access the lucrative ecotourism market.

Return on Investment – JOBS INVESTING IN SANITATION AND HYGIENE CREATES BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS Providing services and products for households, schools, public facilities, institutions, tourism spots, etc… creates jobs and investments, especially for local and small-scale businesses. Sanitation and hygiene promotion is a business with customers, not beneficiaries.

What are your Good Dignity Practices? Explore opportunities for public-private partnerships in marketing, training, and product development. Provide professional business development support for small-scale sanitation providers. Entice new entrepreneurs to enter the market and boost existing businesses by reducing market barriers. Regulate quality and technical standards for the construction of latrines. Ensure that the collection, treatment, disposal and reuse of human waste comply with health and environment standards.

Return on Investment – LEADERSHIP INVESTING IN SANITATION REQUIRES ACTION FROM YOU! Are you ready to make a good investment? By failing to prioritize sanitation and hygiene, we are failing to invest in an area with substantial return. A new mindset about sanitation: from something that costs money to something that generates income.

What are your commitments? EXPANDING ACCESS TO SANITATION SERVICES IS NO GREAT MYSTERY. IT REQUIRES: Moving sanitation to the top of the agenda, Allocating sufficient resources, Establishing a national coordinating body, a country-wide plan and a transparent monitoring framework, Giving priority to underserved populations, Recognizing the importance of community involvement, demand creation and the equal participation of women and men, Providing support for small-scale sanitation and hygiene providers.

DON’T WASTE A GOOD INVESTMENT… …AND INCREASE THE GDP OF YOUR COUNTRY!