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Far more people in India, the world's second most populous country, have access to a cell phone than a toilet and improved sanitation

More Cell Phones Than Sanitation



The number of mobile telephones worldwide is set to catch up to the globe's population next year, the United Nations' telecommunications reports. More than half of all mobile subscriptions are now in Asia, which remains the powerhouse of market growth. By the end of 2013, overall mobile penetration rates will have reached 96 percent globally, 128 percent in the developed world, and 89 percent in developing countries. (1)

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Yet, here's the conundrum; contrasted to the spiraling growth in cell phone users, six in ten people in the world lack access to flush toilets or other sanitation. This number (60 percent), based on a refined definition of 'improved sanitation', is up from a previous estimate of 38 percent. (2) It's a real dichotomy. We have the 21st century with all its technological marvels, yet we still have vast numbers of people without adequate sanitation.(3) Far more people in India, the world's second most populous country, have access to a cell phone than a toilet and improved sanitation, according to UN experts. Roughly 366 million people (31 percent of the population) had access to improved sanitation in 2008. Meanwhile 545 million cell phones were connected to service in India's emerging economy. (4) The situation with cell phones is somewhat similar in Africa since perhaps nowhere is the speed of technological change more visible. As a market for mobile phones, Africa as a whole has seen a 20 percent rate of growth each year for the past five years. Out of every 100 people, 65 have some form of mobile connectivity. (5) It's doubtful that this number of folks have access to adequate sanitation.

References

1. “Mobile phones to match globe's population in 2014,” phys.org/news, February 28, 2013 2. Rachel Baum, Jeanne Luh and Jamie Bartram, “Sanitation: A global estimate of sewerage connections without treatment and the resulting impact on MDG progress,” Environ. Sci. Technol., 47, 1994, 2013 3. Jamie Bartram, “Six in 10 people worldwide lack access to flush toilets or other adequate sanitation,” Canada Free Press, March 20, 2013 4. “Greater access to cell phones than toilets,” United Nations University, April 2012 5. Naeesa Aziz, 'African cell phones to get free Wikipedia access,” bet.com/news, February 15, 2012 Jack Dini Livermore, CA


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Jack Dini -- Bio and Archives

Jack Dini is author of Challenging Environmental Mythology.  He has also written for American Council on Science and Health, Environment & Climate News, and Hawaii Reporter.


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