IGHI host forum to discuss and disseminate research in water and health ahead of World Toilet Day.

Reduced access to clean water, basic toilets and sanitation continues to affect the healthcare of millions around the world. Low and middle income countries are constantly challenged by death and disease without these essentials.

In line with World Toilet Day on the 19th of November, the Institute of Global Health Innovation’s recent monthly Global Health Forum focused on various issues concerning water and health from a global context.

Speakers included Dr. Alexander Webb, a Research Associate in Imperial’s Faculty of Medicine, who talked about his research in the detection of schistosome cercariae in a protease-based biosensor.

This was followed by a talk from Simon De Stercke, a Doctoral Student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering who discussed the energy implications of WASH that are currently facing the city of Mumbai. Dr Pauline Scheelbeek of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gave us an insight into her work on salinity in drinking water and the effects on hypertension.

The final presentation of the Forum came from Dr. Michael Templeton, Reader in Public Health Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr Templeton discussed toilets and the work that has been done to make sanitation safe and sustainable.

The full event can be watched in the video above and you can view the photos here.

There will be no Global Health Forum in the month of December. The series will resume in January 2017.

World Toilet Day 

 

 

The 19th of November 2016 marks World Toilet Day, a day to raise awareness about those who do not have access to a toilet.

2.4billion of the world's seven billion people do not have improved sanitation and 1 billion of the world's people defecate in open. As a result, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated November 19 as World Toilet Day. World Toilet Day is coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with governments and relevant stakeholders.

Find out more about World Toilet Day here.

Ahead of the day, PhD candidate at University College London, Eve Mackinnon provided us with an assessment of sanitation models. Read Eve’s article on our blog here.

Get involved

IGHI’s monthly Global Health Forums provide a platform to bring together Imperial researchers, students, and staff from across all of Imperial’s Faculties to highlight, discuss and disseminate findings on current research and innovations on relevant global health topics. The Forums encourage interdisciplinary discussions with the intention that they will foster inter-Faculty research initiatives and leverage the immense strengths of Imperial College to resolve global health priorities of the early 21st Century.