They're so full of themselves I can see why they need to squat

World Toilet Day: Squat to Save Lives?

World Toilet Day's organizers ask people to squat for one minute at noon each Nov. 19. (World Toilet Day)

(CBS) Happy World Toilet Day!

No, it's not a joke. World Toilet Day, which has been marked every November 19 since 2001, is the centerpiece of an international effort to raise awareness about poor sanitation - the leading cause of illness and death around the world.

According to the official World Toilet Day website, 2.6 people billion lack access to indoor plumbing, and it's killing them - literally. Each year, 1.8 million people - mostly children - die of diarrheal disease that spreads via fecal matter that isn't disposed of properly. "That's 5,000 children DYING EVERY SINGLE DAY," the site exclaims.

If compassion doesn't move you, maybe the yuck factor will: A single gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts, and 100 parasite eggs, according to the site.

Just how do its organizers want you to observe World Toilet Day?

By squatting, of course.

At precisely noon today, people around the globe will squat for 60 seconds to show solidarity with the vast numbers of humans who spend entire lifetimes out of reach of a decent john. At least that's what the poop police are hoping.

By squatting, you'll also be getting behind the organizers' other goals, including some for those of us who take toilets for granted. On the agenda are cleaner bathrooms and more public bathrooms, along with greater rights for female flushers.

"Studies show that women take longer to use restrooms than men," says the site. "If there are three toilets for each gender, though, the women's room will have a far longer line. You've seen it happen in stadiums, theaters, and malls - that's because archaic building codes don't consider women's physiological needs."

So it's up to you. Will you get behind the effort to solve some pretty big problems - or wash your hands of them?