TOKYO/GENEVA, Sep 13 - LIXIL and UNICEF have announced the extension of their partnership until 2027, aiming to expand efforts in six countries to provide more communities with access to safe, clean toilets and hygiene solutions.
Over the past five years, this collaboration has made significant strides in improving the availability and affordability of safe sanitation in Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. As a result, 12.7 million people have gained access to basic sanitation and hygiene facilities.
"A lack of access to safe sanitation and hygiene has devastating effects on children and their families worldwide. Every day, 1,000 children under the age of five die from diseases linked to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene. Thanks to our partnership with LIXIL, many communities are not only more aware of the benefits of improved sanitation but also have better access to affordable toilets and sanitation services," said Carla Haddad Mardini, UNICEF's Director of Private Fundraising and Partnerships.
Mardini further emphasized the need to scale up efforts to reach the 3.5 billion people globally who still lack access to safely managed sanitation. "Providing access to proper sanitation facilities not only ensures health and wellbeing but also grants people the dignity they deserve," she added.
In lower-income countries, most sanitation improvements are driven by individuals purchasing toilets with their own resources. However, poorer communities face barriers, such as a lack of affordable products, skilled labor, and financial constraints. The LIXIL-UNICEF partnership has addressed these issues through various activities, including supporting government health workers to promote safe sanitation, training masons to install toilets, facilitating microfinance loans, and increasing the availability of affordable hygiene and sanitation products, such as those from LIXIL's social business, SATO.
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The recently published 2018-2023 partnership report highlights key achievements, including catalyzing public and private sector investment in sanitation, with US$2.2 million in government funding and nearly US$4.9 million in loans from banks and microfinance institutions.
"Our partnership with UNICEF is central to LIXIL's mission of improving global health through innovative sanitation and hygiene solutions," said Jin Montesano, Chair of LIXIL's Impact Strategy Committee. "By renewing this partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to developing market-based strategies that ensure safe, accessible sanitation where it's needed most."
