The sanitation gap: Development's deadly menace

Adequate sanitation is the foundation of development—but a decent toilet or latrine is an unknown luxury to half the people on earth. The percentage of those with access to hygienic sanitation facilities has declined slightly over the 1990s, as construction has fallen behind population growth. The main result can be summed up in one deadly word: diarrhoea. It kills 2.2 million children a year and consumes precious funds in health care costs, preventing families and nations from climbing the ladder of development.