India has an unlikely new public health hero : a giant , anthropomorphic stool that chases people to squat in toilets . Mr Poo , who appears in commercials accompanied by a groovy techno anthem , is the face of the latest public health campaign by United Nations Children 's Fund in the country . With a bold and quirky approach unlike any previous awareness drives , the 'Poo2Loo ' campaign seeks to bring people 's attention to the health hazards associated with public defecation -- a deep-rooted social norm in the country 's rural and urban slums . According to UNICEF , India has the highest number of people in the world -- an estimated 620 million -- who defecate in the open , creating a major public health hazard by leaving an estimated 65 million kilograms of waste each day . Only half of the population uses toilets . With an animated video , a catchy song with 'toilet sounds ' , and even a smartphone application , the digitally-led campaign is targeted at the country 's youth . The campaign uses `` quirky , informative and inspiring language , '' said UNICEF spokeswoman Maria Fernandez . `` It also contains humour to better connect with the target audience . Once they [ the youth ] are exposed to the issue ... they will be encouraged to know more . '' Poo woes . The approach might be humorous , but the underlying issue is n't . Open defecation is almost universal amongst the poorest 20 percent of India 's population . An absence of adequate toilets and water facilities is as much the reason for this as is a lack of awareness about proper sanitation and hygiene . The number of toilets in the country is far below what is required , but even when community toilets are provided , many people in rural India continue to defecate in the open due to a lack of education about proper hygiene . Projects such as the Total Sanitation Campaign -- a community-led program launched in 1999 to address the country 's sanitation woes -- have boosted toilet facilities , but hundreds of millions of people remain without access to toilets . There is also a huge discrepancy between the government 's data on the number of toilets built and what some reports claim . The Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation claims that more than 50 percent of the country 's rural households were covered by the sanitation drive by 2010 , while the last Census conducted in 2011 showed toilet coverage to be only around 30 percent . Children most at risk . This is of particular concern for children in the country 's rural pockets . Reports say poor sanitation is one of the major contributors to India 's rampant child malnutrition numbers -- among the highest in the world . UNICEF 's figures show why . More than 28 million children lack access to toilets in their schools . They also face a huge risk of contracting bacterial infections , with over 44 percent of mothers disposing their children 's waste in the open . Diarrhoea remains one of the top causes of child deaths in the country , alongside respiratory infections . The issue of poor sanitation has also been raised by politicians as a priority for the next government . `` Whoever the prime minister is must lead a national movement to make the country open defecation-free in 10 years ' time , '' Union Minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters in March . The goal seems somewhat ambitious . While there has been a 20 percent drop in the number of people defecating in the open in the last decade , India has a long way to go before it can meet the 2015 Millennium Development Goal target for sanitation , which requires 75 % of the country to have access to sanitation . India set itself the even loftier target of providing 100 % of the rural population with access to toilet facilities by 2012 , but that did n't materialize . In fact , the date keeps getting pushed further -- it was initially revised to 2015 and recently set back to 2022 . Using social media , UNICEF is trying to steer people 's attention towards this largely taboo issue . However , questions remain about the impact of such an urban campaign , given that its target audience -- youngsters -- are mostly likely to be using toilets in any case . To which , Maria contends , `` If we keep silence , we are contributing to the problem . So the campaign tries to create noise so those who have actually toilets understand the issue and do something about it . '' READ MORE : Bringing toilets and dignity to India 's poor .
More than 620 million Indians still defecate in the open . UNICEF 's campaign aims to educate the youth about the health hazards associated with public defecation . More than 28 million children do not have access to toilets in their schools , increasing risk of infections .