About 2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation, a problem that contributes to countess deaths from preventable diseases, according to the United Nations.

“We must break the taboos and make sanitation for all a global development priority,” UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon said, in declaring World Toilet Day today.

United Nations tweet Tuesday is the 1st-ever #WorldToiletDay! Sanitation is a human right. Spread the word to make #Toilets4all reality http://t.co/lxOcYibV58 — United Nations (@UN) November 19, 2013

Each year, more than 800,000 children under five die from diarrhoea worldwide, the UN says, many due to poor sanitation.

Lack of access to clean toilets in schools also deters many women and girls from pursuing their education after they reach puberty, according to a report from WaterAid, a private agency working with the UN and the Unilever company.