Improving sanitation and hygiene for 25 million people in 41 countries

Currently, an estimated 1.7 billion people – about one-fifth of the global population – live without access to safe, sanitary toilets and use poor quality or no facilities at all. Up to 700 children under the age of five may die every day due to diarrheal diseases caused by unsanitary conditions related to unsafe and low availability of water, sanitation and hygiene. Among the 494 million people still practicing open defection, women or children may be placed under risk of being sexually assaulted while trying to find somewhere private to relieve themselves. The lack of safe and private toilets in schools may also contribute to the gender gap in education as teenage girls report that they stay home during menstruation, which leads to girls falling behind in their studies and eventually curtailing their education.

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 seeks to ensure access to water and sanitation for all by 2030. But the world is off-track, according to the UN’s latest progress report, compounded by the extreme challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Progress must be accelerated in the coming nine years, it states, in some areas up to four times faster.

“Providing access to safe, clean toilets can save lives, close gender gaps, and improve the wellbeing of the most vulnerable within society. It is a cause that is very close to our hearts at LIXIL, one that inspires and gives us greater purpose as people. With the support of our employees, partners and consumers, we have improved access to basic sanitation for 25 million people and counting. As proud as we are of this remarkable achievement, we know too well how much work still remains for us, especially as COVID-19 has exacerbated the inequities we already see in the field of sanitation and hygiene. We welcome more companies and organizations to join us in this global effort,” says Jin Montesano, Chair of LIXIL’s Corporate Responsibility Committee.

In line with SDG 6, LIXIL aims to improve the livelihood of 100 million people through hygiene and sanitation solutions by 2025.

LIXIL’s SATO Brand continues growth with expanded product portfolio

Leading LIXIL’s commitment is its SATO brand of toilet and hygiene solutions, an affordable and aspirational option for households and communities of rural and peri-urban areas of developing economies. Drawing on LIXIL’s expertise in water solutions and its consumer-centric approach, SATO innovates tailored solutions to cater to the unique challenges of underserved communities. Today, SATO products range from a variety of squat toilet pans to toilet stools, and components that include connection systems such as the V-Trap and I-Trap systems. As a social business, SATO is also helping to create the sanitation economy, where communities play a vital role in bringing sustainable change.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, SATO developed a simple and affordable handwashing solution: the SATO Tap. SATO quickly deployed this innovation, leveraging its market intelligence and partner networks for the safety and health of its users..

By supporting communities and local business partners as they faced these challenges, over the last 12 months, SATO has:

- Shipped over 1 million units of toilet and hygiene solutions, impacting the lives of 5.5 million people globally

- In partnership with UNICEF and other critical partners, donated and delivered over 325,000 units of SATO toilets and SATO Tap handwashing stations to underserved communities

- Trained an estimated 3,000 masons across India, Africa, and SE Asia

LIXIL and UNICEF expand ‘Make A Splash!’ partnership after reaching 2.9 million people with sanitation and hygiene solutions

Launched in 2018, the ‘Make a Splash!’ Partnership combines the two organizations’ complementary strengths to support progress towards SDG Goal 6. The scale-up of the partnership builds its success of improving sanitation and hygiene over the past three years, reaching 2.9 million people in communities in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

The ‘Make a Splash!’ partnership aims to build viable sanitation and hygiene markets serving millions of people - by expanding the availability, affordability and quality of goods and services. In addition to expanding the focus countries, the scope of activities of the partnership will also expand, focusing on:

- Reaching people with better sanitation and hygiene options

Through UNICEF’s sanitation and hygiene demand generation activities, LIXIL designs and supplies solutions based on user needs and preferences, and joint capacity building activities

- Leveraging financing for sanitation and hygiene actors

To support developing markets, including local suppliers and consumers

- Supporting policies and regulation

Through monitoring and evaluation of national targets and strategies

LIXIL's GROHE brand contributes 1.2 million euros raised through its “Energy for Life” campaign

GROHE, a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, supported the “Make a Splash!” partnership with a dedicated campaign across 13 countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa this summer. Through the “Energy for Life” campaign, the brand raised one euro for every participating GROHE shower system or thermostat purchased. As a result, LIXIL collected the sum of 1.2 million euros through associated GROHE sales, which is now being used to help ensure more children have access to clean, safe toilets and hand hygiene.