The Importance Of Toilets To Public Health

A toilet is a plumbing fixture primarily intended for the disposal of human excreta: urine and fecal matter. Additionally, vomit and menstrual waste are sometimes disposed of in toilets in some societies. The word toilet describes the fixture and, especially in British English, the room containing the fixture. In American English, the latter is euphemistically called a restroom or bathroom. The latter term often describes a room that also contains a bath tub. A room with only a toilet and a sink is sometimes called a half-bathroom, a half bath, or a powder room.

Case in Indonesia
Amid the environmental conditions of dense population, most of the citizens of District west Pademangan, Jakarta still need a public toilet facilities. Because of the 11,959 houses, only 2111 homes already equipped with toilets. Means there are 9848 homes whose residents still rely on public toilets for more than shitting.

Seeing such high demand for public toilets in west Pademangan Village, Mercy Corp. will launch a Community Based Sanitation Program in dense areas and the slums. Pademangan is one of the main pilot project Mercy Corp in this community-based sanitation programs. The first step, Mercy Corp. will build a public toilet in the RW 010 units west Pademangan immediately.

Regarding the poor sanitary conditions of citizens, explained Lurah Pademangan west, Purnomo. He explained, the current population reached 620,902 people with an area of only 353.35 hectares. Means every one square kilometer there are 17,571 inhabitants. "They are scattered in 16 neighborhood (RW)," he told beritajakarta.com, Thursday (6 / 8).

Malang, East Java

The river was still widely used by citizens of Malang for the purposes of bathing, washing and toilet (MCK). Unhealthy living habits are still hard to change because people have become habit for generations. Based on the study Environmental Health Risk Assessment (EHRA) or Environmental Health Risk assessments are carried out Bapeko Malang, the habit of MCK in scattered communities in various villages.
15 percent of 57 villages in the city this education, there is still a habit of MCK in rivers and streams. "15 percent of the municipality that uses a public toilet in the river was spread in five districts," explains Head of City Planning, Bapeko, Erik S. Santoso. Among them, in Kedungkandang, Lowokwaru and Buring. This phenomenon also occurs in other regions such as West Malang region.

Erik explained, since there were toilet habits in the river, the question of sanitation is still a serious concern. In addition to the availability of healthy sanitation, clean lifestyle community still needs to be improved. "Based on research, community practice it because it was hereditary. So far there are still people who use the toilets in the river, "said Erik.

In Kedungkandang, some residents claimed to have been accustomed since childhood to use rivers as toilets. A number of residents who met to admit not used in the doctor's health check, but they feel healthy. "So far healthier. No illness. Pollute the environment if I am not sure, because most people still frequent bathing and washing in the river, "said Sunarti, one resident Kedungkandang.

In fact, the habit of using the river for bathing, washing clothes and utensils and toilet, will cause various diseases, especially skin diseases

Solution
Public toilets
Public toilets, public lavatories, or public conveniences are toilets that are accessible to the general public with common access from the street. Conveniences being the collective term for male and female designated toilets, convenience (singular) usually acquiring a gender attribute.

By the Goverment
"The availability of toilets is actually purely personal responsibility of each citizen, not the government. Still, West Bandung regency join the development program to prepare public toilets, as a form of government services to citizens. the cost of each toilet at 15 million rupiah / unit," said Head Environment Housing Infrastructure Sector Department of Work and Spatial Notices, Dani Prianto Hadi in Cipongkor, Sunday (18 / 7).
He said that development assistance for a toilet which was rolled out West Bandung regency, used as a stimulant for the community to build their own toilets. Communities should be made aware how important toilets. The existence of good public toilet is very influential on environmental health.