UNICEF Statistics / Water
12 junio 2007Most frequent diseases related to poor water supply and sanitation
The Challenge:
Access to adequate water supply is not only a fundamental need and human right. Access to water supply also has considerable health and economic benefits to households and individuals.
On the other hand, the lack of access to adequate water contributes to deaths and illness, especially in children. Thus, the improvement of access to water is a crucial element in the reduction of under-five mortality and morbidity, particularly in poor urban areas.
Access to water also means that the considerable amount of time women and children spend for fetching water could be spent more effectively on other tasks, improving their economic productivity, a key component in poverty alleviation efforts.
WHO estimates the economic gains per $1 invested in water supply and sanitation to range from $5 to $28 depending on the level of services offered and the region. Major benefits are gained from less time spent being ill; significant savings could be made in health sector and patient costs due to reductions in the prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases and the value of prevented deaths.
Most frequent diseases related to poor water supply and sanitation:
