16 November, Bangkok – Various toilet-related issues, including hygiene, sanitation and safety, are taking centre stage at the 2nd World Toilet Expo & Forum. Held at the IMPACT Exhibition & Convention Centre, the three-day event was officially opened by Dr Mongkol Na Songkhla, Minister of Public Health, Thailand today.
In his address, Dr Mongkok, stressed: “We all recognise the importance of toilets in present day’s way of life because the installation of hygienic, safe and user-friendly toilet facilities in adequate numbers is exceptionally important in assuring good sanitation and health. In addition, the toilet is a significant indicator of good development, quality of life and culture.”
High on the agenda at the Forum is the issue of sustainable sanitation. Keynote speaker Dr Uschi Eid, Acting Chair of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, will be presenting the Board’s ‘Recommendation on Water & Sanitation for
the Achievement of the Sanitation Related Millennium Development Goal’.
Dr Eid is joined by Isabel Blackett, the Senior Sanitation Specialist for the World Bank Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP) in East Asia and the Pacific. Ms Blackett’s paper focuses on ‘Global Efforts to Achieve the UN Millennium Goal – Where are We Now?’ .
Themed Happy Toilet Healthy Life, the Forum has attracted an international panel of experts to present 26 papers focused on ecological sanitation, health, accessibility and safety. More than 800 delegates from 30 countries, including a 600-strong Thai delegation and eight Southeast Asian and China groups, are attending the event organised by the World Toilet Organization (WTO) and MP Asia Pte Ltd.
In his welcome address to delegates and guests, WTO’s Founder, Jack Sim said: “The governments in many countries now readily spend huge expenditure improving toilets and sanitation conditions for their people. They know that a dollar invested in sanitation is worth many dollars saved in health cost, in generating tourism income, and in uplifting the quality of lives of their people,” adding that he is “particularly impressed by Thailand's effort to form a Thai National Public Toilet Strategic Committee to tackle toilet issues in Thailand.”
An impressive panel of speakers from the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand has been lined up to share Thailand’s Public Toilets and Development project which aims to have 90 per cent of public toilets nationwide to reach the standard of ‘health’, ‘accessibility’ and ‘safety’ (‘HAS’ in short) in the year 2008.
Among them are Dr Somyos Charoensuk, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health; Dr Narongsakdi Aungkasuvapala, Director-General of the Department of Health; Dr Sopon Mekton, Deputy Director-General, Department of Health; and Mr Nikom Wairatchapanit, Director-General of the Department of Environment, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
The Forum will round off with a technical visit to the best public toilets of Bangkok and the neighbouring provinces on the last day. It is complemented by an exhibition that showcases toilet solutions from leading industry names. Among the participants at the Expo are American Standard, COTTO, TOTO, Kimberly Clark, Pacific Waste Management Technology, Property Care Services, Jet As, Mitsubishi Electric Kang Yong Wattana, PooKoo and Rentokil Initial.
Products launches include Initial Hygiene’s revolutionary sanitary bin with the world’s first automatic no-touch compressing laminate mechanism which seals disposed sanitary napkins, as well as an air steriliser with a patented technology that uses ultra-violet energy to disinfect the air. Mitsubishi Electric Kang Yong Wattana is launching a high-speed, cost-efficient hand-dryer and a low-cost auto faucet by Pookoo. TOTO’s new tankless toilet bowl features a revolutionary flush engine and a dual flush water-conservation mode.
Also on display are American Standard’s high performance, yet water-saving toilet bowl, and its powerful flushing toilet which was designed with the concept of “flush and run with confidence”. The Desert Cube Waterless Urinal System introduces a simple and effective way to save water and eliminate malodour through its revolutionary technology which contains naturally occurring microbes that degrade the organic matter, on which odour-producing bacteria normally grow.
There is also a thematic display by the Thai Ministry of Public Health at the Expo. Besides offering an insight into the development of toilets in Thailand, from the past to the present and future plans, the display aims to inculcate the important role that the community and the individual can play in maintaining good hygiene standards and clean toilets.
Sylvia Phua, Chief Executive Officer of MP Asia, said: “The World Toilet Expo & Forum is a unique platform as it is the only event in the world that is dedicated to the toilet cause. In addition to knowledge transfer, serious discussions, sharing of expertise and excellent networking, participants can also embrace innovative solutions and evaluate the latest
products and services through the exhibition.”
The exhibition ends on Saturday. Opening hours are from 9am to 6pm on the 16 and 17 of November, and 9am to 4pm on 18 November. Admission is free for all visitors. For more
information, please visit www.worldtoiletexpo.com.
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For more information, please contact:
Daphne Poon
Marketing Communications Director
Tel : (65) 6393 0238
Fax: (65) 6296 2670
Email: daphnepoon@mpinetwork.com
Website: www.worldtoiletexpo.com
