UN Report: More people in India have access to a mobile phone than a toilet

Thu Apr 15 / NEW DELHI (AFP) – Far more people in India have access to a mobile phone than to a toilet, according to a UN study on how to improve sanitation levels globally.

India's mobile subscribers totalled 563.73 million at the last count, enough to serve nearly half of the country's 1.2 billion population.

But just 366 million people -- around a third of the population -- had access to proper sanitation in 2008, said the study published by the United Nations University, a UN think-tank.

"It is a tragic irony to think in India, a country now wealthy enough that roughly half of the people own phones," so many people "cannot afford the basic necessity and dignity of a toilet," said UN University director Zafar Adeel.

MORE: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100415/hl_afp/indiatelecomunhealthsanitationpoverty_20100415153914

water and plumbing. A bit more expensive than a cell phone.

which would have to include sanitary public facilities.

to refugee camps in Syria, they send text messages in advance to the recipients. No home, no food -- but they do have cell phones. Those are the world's priorities right now.

"Chat and Shat!"

Here's a photo of a combination washing machine and toilet...


...I think you get the picture.

when one brother locks the other one in the out house, as the celebrity shows up but I can't find it.