Publication: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
Date
2003-11
ISSN
Published
2003-11
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Better hygiene and access to drinking
water and sanitation will accelerate progress toward two
millennium development goals (MDGs): 'reduce under-five
child mortality rate by 2/3 between 1990 and 2015' and
"by 2015 halve the proportion of people without
sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic
sanitation". Meeting the latter goal will require
infrastructure investments of about US$23 billion per year,
to improve water services for 1.5 billion more people
(292,000 people per day) and access to safe sanitation for
2.2 billion additional people (397,000 per day). Water
supply, sanitation, and hygiene are about more than health.
Saved time, particularly for women and children, is a major
benefit. Beneficiaries of water and sanitation projects in
India reported these benefits: less tension/conflict in
homes and communities; community unity, self-esteem,
women's empowerment (less harassment) and improved
school attendance (Water Aid 2001). Improved hygiene (hand
washing) and sanitation (latrines) have more impact than
drinking water quality on health outcomes, specifically
reductions in diarrhea, parasitic infections, morbidity and
mortality, and increases in child growth (Esrey et al 1991;
Hutley et al 1997). Most endemic diarrhea is not
water-borne, but transmitted from person to person by poor
hygiene practices, so an increase in the quantity of water
has a greater health impact than improved water quality
because it makes it possible (or at least more feasible) for
people to adopt safe hygiene behaviors (Esrey et al 1996).
Citation
“World Bank. 2003. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. at a glance. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/3d0780ac-cf7f-5c58-84fe-a40d65696bb5 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”