Enhancing sanitation with automated bidets
By Dr Goh Yingxin
Every year on World Toilet Day, we’re reminded of the critical role sanitation plays in health, dignity, and overall well-being. Yet nearly half of the global population—3.5 billion people—lacks access to safely managed sanitation, with 420 million still practicing open defecation, particularly in underserved areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Recent UNICEF data highlights that about 2 billion people lack basic handwashing facilities, and 640 million have no access to any handwashing option at all. These sanitation challenges directly contribute to preventable diseases, including cholera and diarrhoea, which remain among the leading causes of death for young children.
Diarrhoea, primarily resulting from poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions, accounts for nearly 88% of deaths among children under five in WASH-deprived regions, according to the CDC in 2023. The World Health Organization estimates that better WASH access could save up to 1.4 million lives each year. Although some progress has been made—usage of safely managed sanitation facilities increased from 49% to 57% between 2015 and 2022—this is still far from the Sustainable Development Goals target for 2030, signaling an ongoing need for infrastructure development, education, policy reforms, and technological innovation.
Our team at Universiti Malaya has responded to these pressing needs by studying automated bidet technology as a modern approach to improve hygiene. Automated bidet systems are widely embraced in parts of Asia and Europe, appreciated for their role in improving hygiene, comfort, and integration with modern technology. In countries like Korea and Japan, bidet-style toilets are now common in homes and public spaces, aligning with these regions’ hygiene standards. The popularity of bidet use is also growing in North America and Europe, where it is seen as especially beneficial for the elderly and those who value improved hygiene options.
The global bidet market, valued at USD 30.1 billion, is expected to reach USD 54.5 billion by 2033, driven by urbanization and sanitation initiatives in the Asia-Pacific, including countries like China, India, and Indonesia. In Malaysia, our work supports local efforts to raise hygiene standards, such as the BMW (Bersih, Menawan, Wangi) initiative, launched by the Ministry of Local Government Development to improve public toilet standards nationwide. By researching automated bidet technology, we’re not only raising awareness about bidet use but also aiming to balance hygiene benefits with user comfort in ways that are both practical and effective.
Collaborative support has been essential in this research. Through a partnership with Coway, we have been able to conduct real-world testing of bidet units installed in our faculty’s facilities. This collaboration allows us to observe how automated bidets function in daily use, enhancing our understanding of their public health impact. While sometimes seen as a luxury, automated bidets show promising potential as a useful public health tool, especially in settings where sanitation risks are shared. According to a recent UNICEF report, automated bidets could reduce bacterial contamination risks, a significant factor in shared sanitation spaces and a valuable contribution to global sanitation goals.
Our research seeks to extend the benefits of automated bidet technology beyond private use and into the wider public health sphere. Advancing hygiene standards and optimising bidet systems could support future health campaigns and education, encouraging safer practices and reducing health risks in everyday life. Improved sanitation brings wide-reaching economic and societal benefits, too. In countries like Bangladesh, poor sanitation reportedly costs up to 6.3% of GDP each year due to healthcare expenses and lost productivity, which in turn restricts access to education and work opportunities, affecting overall quality of life. For billions of people, the lack of safe, clean toilets remains not only a health risk but also a barrier to economic progress.
This World Toilet Day, as we reflect on sanitation’s essential role in promoting health and dignity, our research is dedicated to redefining automated bidet technology to serve not only individual needs but also public health objectives. Our findings offer valuable data that manufacturers can use to design safer, more effective systems that prioritize hygiene across different settings. With ongoing collaboration among academia, industry, and policymakers, we can work toward a future where safe, hygienic, and reliable sanitation facilities are accessible to all, ultimately making sanitation a universal right rather than a privilege.
The author is a senior lecturer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya. She may be contacted at gohyingxin@um.edu.my
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