Water, Sanitation & Hygiene

2.5 billion people do not have access to improved sanitation and an estimated 780 million people do not have access to an improved water source. Unimproved hygiene, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient or unsafe drinking water account for 19% of child mortality worldwide and some 7% of the total global disease burden. Each year 1.4 million children die from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation - this equates to one child every 20 seconds from what is an entirely preventable public health crisis.

Access to safe, clean drinking water and sanitation is a basic human right. Yet, more than one third of the world’s population do not have access to proper sanitation, and many people do not have access to reliable sources of drinking water.

While absolute scarcity of safe water and sanitation is an issue, a critical constraint is inequitable and unjust distribution. Those without access to safe water and improved sanitation are often the poorest and the most marginalised groups of society. In Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) we strive for sustainable basic services for all.

Learn more about our work in WASH.