GRNLive Foreign Correspondents Network

WorldWater Week begins this Sunday.

In developing countries, research suggests that poor sanitation and hygiene are either the chief or the underlying cause in over half of the annual 10 million child deaths – more children than HIV/AIDs malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Today,hundreds of millions of people in slums and shanty towns still defecate in the open air or in plastic bags. Faecal matter still contaminates water, food,hands, and homes.

Sweden is testing an award device – a self sanitizing individual toilet that promotes hygiene and uses the dessicated faecal matter for agriculture.