Seated toilets on national agenda

Seated toilets on national agenda

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

The Public Health Ministry plans to promote Western-style seated toilets in the home as part of the national agenda to reduce knee problems.

The ministry will encourage 90% of Thai households to have seated toilets by 2016, Deputy Minister Cholanan Srikaew said on Monday.

According to the ministry, 86% of households still use squat toilets.

A boy demonstrates the use of a squat toilet which will be replaced by seated toilets in a Public Health Ministry campaign. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

The target is in the third phase of the Thai toilet development master plan, which will also include transforming all squat toilets to sitting ones in state agencies, Mr Cholanan said.

The move will be on the national agenda so state and private agencies will pay attention to the issue to address health concerns, he added. 

More than 6 million Thais were found to be suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee in 2010. The ministry believes the condition is connected to the use of squat toilets.

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