open defecation

The idea behind this viral ad is to convince men how important it is to have a toilet in the house. That's a major issue in India, where more than 500 million people are loo-less.

That's a problem in Bangladesh, where pit latrines have brought rates of open defecation down — but led to the dumping of 'fecal sludge' in waterways. A new study proposes a possible solution.

To stop open defecation, a U.N.-affiliated group takes villagers on a "walk of shame." But critics raise questions about the ethics of this approach.

She's an aquamarine puppet with a mission: Stop the practice of open defecation. That's a tall order for a 6-year-old Muppet. But she's up for the job: "Let's face it. We all got to go."