Message on World Toilet Day

世界厕所日致辞

19 November 2020

2020年11月19日

The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the importance of sanitation, safe water and handwashing facilities to stop the spread of infectious diseases. Everyone should have access to hygienic, safe, sustainable sanitation. That is the only way to ensure health for all.

冠状病毒病疫情清楚地提醒人们，环境卫生、安全饮用水和洗手设施对遏制传染病传播十分重要。每个人都应有机会享有干净、安全和可持续的环境卫生。这是确保全民健康的唯一途径。

But around the world today, 4.2 billion people are without safe sanitation. Two billion of these people – more than one quarter of the global population – lack basic sanitation, undermining health, dignity, and economic development.

但如今世界各地仍有42亿人无法享有安全的环境卫生。其中20亿人(占全球人口的四分之一以上)缺乏基本卫生条件，给健康、尊严和经济发展带来不利影响。

However, rapid progress on sanitation is possible. Many countries have transformed their sanitation facilities and services within a generation, through programmes including the universal provision of toilets, and improved treatment and use of wastewater. This has had knock-on benefits for their health systems and economies, and for the environment.

然而，卫生条件是可以快速改善的。许多国家通过普及厕所、改善废水处理和使用等方案，在一代人的时间跨度内改变了卫生设施与服务。这给本国卫生系统和经济乃至环境都带来了连锁效益。

Achieving water and sanitation for all would cost an estimated 1.5 percent of global Gross Domestic Product, and would bring considerable economic benefits with an estimated return of more than four dollars for every dollar invested.

落实为所有人提供水和环境卫生的费用估计要占全球国内生产总值的1.5%，但它会带来可观的经济效益，估计每投资1美元就会产生超过4美元的回报。

Today’s sanitation services must be resilient, in order to deal with shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic. Unless we act now, the climate crisis will disrupt sanitation services for millions. We need innovative thinking around sanitation services so they are fit for the future.

当今公共卫生服务必须具有弹性才能应对冠状病毒病这样的冲击。除非我们现在就采取行动，否则气候危机会使数百万人无法正常享有卫生服务。我们要围绕公共卫生服务开展创新思维，使这些服务适应未来。

On World Toilet Day, let’s resolve to take action to deliver health and sanitation for billions of people around the world, today and for future generations.

值此世界厕所日之际，让我们下定决心采取行动，让全世界今世后代几十亿人都能享有健康和卫生。