Water and Sanitation

Over 3.4 million people die as a result of contaminated water annually.¹ Diarrheal diseases, largely caused by contaminated water, are one of the leading causes of death in children under five, responsible for approximately 525,000 fatalities annually.² Poor sanitation infrastructure and hygiene practices contaminate many local water supplies, and the majority of waterborne illnesses are caused by ingesting water contaminated with fecal matter.³ Over 2 billion people around the world lack access to a toilet.⁴ Annually, there are 1.7 billion cases of diarrheal disease in children.⁵ Thirty eight percent of medical facilities lack access to an adequate water supply, 19 percent lack proper sanitation infrastructure — 35 percent do not have soap or hand-washing stations.⁶ Thirty four percent of schools in the world lack basic sanitation facilities — 47 percent lacked avenues for basic hygienic routines such as handwashing.⁷ Cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, dysentery and schistosomiasis are often caused by bacteria found in water contaminated with fecal matter.⁸ According to the World Health Organization, there is an economic return of $3-4 for each dollar invested in clean water and sanitation infrastructure.⁹