Water and sanitation are essential to human health, and since 2010 it is a human right approved by the United Nations to have access to safe and clean drinking water. However, in 2016 there a 750 million people that lack access to an improved source of drinking water, 2.5 billion (more than a third of the world’s population) do not have basic sanitation facilities and hundreds of millions do not have soap and water to wash their hands. In many countries, this lack of facilities and access to clean water is helping spread out diseases in communities, households, schools and health centers.

Some critical issues we are facing are related to the challenging way to identify gaps in access and inform policy. Most of the policies proposed by the UN are not effectively applied in many countries, leading to weak country capacity to implement plans. That related to the third main challenge, insufficient funding. National funding needs continue to compensate available resources. However, these funds are unfortunately lacking.

Another huge problem we face is that 1 out of 7 of world population practices open defecation (946 million people). This practice leads to the contamination of drinking water sources and the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, Hepatitis A and typhoid. Eritrea is top of the list (almost 80% of its population does not have access to sanitation facilities. This situation is especially critical in rural areas, in which 90% people practice open defecation. Experts predict that this practice will not be eliminated among the poorest rural areas before 2030.

However, we have made some improvements. Between 1990 and 2012, 2.3 billion people gained access to an improved drinking-water source. Also, children deaths associated with poor water sanitation and hygiene fell from 1.5 million to around 600,000. So our efforts should be focused on those people and contribute to making progress in those areas.

References:

• Purvis, K. (2015, July 01). Access to clean water and sanitation around the world – mapped. Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/jul/01/global-access-clean-water-sanitation-mapped
• Hill, T. (2014, November 20). Nearly Half the World Lacks Access to Clean Water and Sanitation-and That’s the Good News. Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/11/20/nearly-half-worlds-population-lacks-access-clean-water-and-sanitation
• (2014). INVESTING IN WATER AND SANITATION: INCREASING ACCESS, REDUCING INEQUALITIES. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/139735/1/9789241508087_eng.pdf?ua=1