Frequently asked questions on Open defecation

Q: What is open defecation? How prevalent is the practice of Open Defecation in India?

A: Open defecation refers to the practice whereby people go out in the open rather than using the toilet to defecate.

Q: If open defecation has such negative consequences on health, dignity and empowerment, why does more than half of India defecate in open?

A: Open defecation is a well-established traditional practice deeply ingrained from early childhood. Sanitation is a socially unacceptable topic and as a result, is not discussed. Other reasons that can be cited for its persistence include poverty (the inability to afford toilets), landlessness, tenants in housing without toilets (usually urban), and of course cultural and social norms that have established open defecation as acceptable practice.

There is also a strong belief that children’s faeces are harmless which is untrue as often child faeces carry higher pathogen loading than adults. As a result, children’s faeces are often disposed of in the environment, either close to dwellings or in open drains.