United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday said that improving sanitation was a highly cost-effective way to transform people’s lives adding the benefits of better sanitation go far beyond public health. In his message on ‘The World Toilet Day’, he said 3.6 billion people still suffer the indignity of living without a safe toilet. Every day, over 700 children die from diseases caused by poor sanitation, hygiene, and unsafe water. On this World Toilet Day, he said we focus on the impact of inadequate sanitation systems on groundwater – how they spread human waste into rivers, lakes, and soil, polluting the water resources under our feet. This issue has been neglected for too long because it happens out of sight – underground, and amidst the poorest communities. Today, let us shine a light on the vital role of safe toilets in all aspects of sustainable development – both visible and invisible. And let us act with urgency and ambition to deliver on the basic human right to water and sanitation for all people, everywhere, he added.