Global access to safe water, adequate sanitation, and proper hygiene
education can reduce illness and death from disease, leading to improved
health, poverty reduction, and socio-economic development. However,
many countries are challenged to provide these basic necessities to
their populations, leaving people at risk for water, sanitation, and
hygiene (WASH)-related diseases. CDC programs such as the Safe Water
System can empower communities to improve their water by using household
treatment options.
Water, sanitation and hygiene has the potential to prevent at least 9.1% of the global disease burden and 6.3% of all deaths.
Worldwide, 884 million people do not have access to an improved water source. Many more obtain their drinking water from improved, but microbiologically unsafe, sources.
An estimated 2.5 billion people — half of the
developing world — lack access to adequate sanitation (more than 35% of
the world’s population).
According to the World Health Organization and
UNICEF, improved sanitation could save the lives of 1.5 million children
per year who would otherwise succumb to diarrheal diseases.
The impact of clean water technologies on public
health in the U.S is estimated to have had a rate of return of 23 to 1
for investments in water filtration and chlorination during the first
half of the 20th century.
Water and sanitation interventions are cost
effective across all world regions. These interventions were
demonstrated to produce economic benefits ranging from US$ 5 to US$ 46
per US$ 1 invested.
Worldwide, 149 countries and territories are affected by at least one neglected tropical disease (NTD).continue @ cdc.gov
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