WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are essential for children and their families to live healthy, prosperous lives. WASH is at the core of child health and development and is vital for a child’s well-being. We focus on bringing clean water, dignified sanitation and effective hygiene practices to communities, schools and healthcare facilities.
Clean and safe water supplies reduce the time needed to collect water. This allows children to attend school and parents, particularly mothers, to have more time to generate income for their families. Safe, private toilets and hand washing facilities with soap keep children and families free from disease.
WASH services at school mean that children can stay healthy and focused on learning. And healthcare facilities equipped with WASH services mean a higher quality of care for patients, including mothers and their newborn babies.
WHY SANITATION?
Without proper sanitation, families and communities are trapped in a cycle of disease and poverty. When women and children have no choice but to defecate in the open or in a poorly constructed facility, they are exposed to many risks to their health and safety. Poor sanitation puts children at risk of diarrhoeal disease, the second leading cause of death in children under five years old, as well as chronic conditions like malnutrition and stunting. A lack of private facilities exposes women and children to risk of violence and abuse.
WHY HYGIENE?
Hygiene is essential for preventing the spread of disease and ensuring that families can thrive. Without good hygiene, children suffer from bouts of illness that can impact their health, growth, education and productivity for the long term. A lack of hygiene services in healthcare facilities puts patients at risk of infections, including birthing women and their newborns, and poor hygiene at school means students are repeatedly exposed to germs that can make them sick and keep them home from school.
STORY ABOUT WATER
The continuous availability of water—both insufficient quantity and adequate quality—is fundamental to the expansion of safe drinking water services under Sustainable Development Goal .Despite the urgent need for solutions, the enormity of the global water security crisis can make it challenging to know where to begin.