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Many people lack access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities all over the world. This leads to severe health consequences.

It is a critical global health disparity and equity issue.

The Determinants Include:

• Infrastructure (inadequate infrastructure for water supply and sanitation)

•Environment Factors i.e (pollution and contamination of water sources)

•Political Factors (ineffective governance can lead to insufficient investments in water and sanitation infrastructure)

Addressing these factors through sustainable development initiatives is essential to combat this issue.

References :

World Health Organization. (2000-2020)Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240030848

United Nations. (2021) The United Nations World Water Development Report 2021: Valuing Water. https://www.unwater.org/publications/un-world-water-development-report-2021

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Brianna James, Lani Mackay, Arianna Riege, Noralis Almonte, Melissa Gonzalez

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Many people are at danger of drinking polluted water due to poor waste water management. This could cause disease transmission, affect crop growth, and new born death rates.

Countries such as Nepal and India where poverty is found, people aren't always able to access bathrooms causing them to practice open defecation. This means they are defecating in rivers, lakes, forests and fields. 75% percent of drinking water samples from schools in Nepal were contaminated with fecal bacteria.

Africa is as well suffering from this problem causing them to walk 30 minutes or more to collect clean water. This task is usually given to women and younger girls as a part of their household chore.

Places like Alaska, Greenland and Russia have had to remove human waste from water themselves causing high disease rates.

This is a problem that global organizations are addressing and hoping to fix with in the next couple of years.

References:

“Water Inequality.” Education, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/water-inequality/. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.

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A global health organization that is working towards the clean water disparity throughout the world is World Vision’s Water Work. Some notable accomplishments include:

Reaching one new person every 10 seconds with clean water and one new person with a handwashing facility as well.

More than 1,200 World Vision WASH professionals as well as thousands of development professionals who not only live but work in communities worldwide that help co-create lasting solutions for the people in the communities.

In 2023, World Vision reached almost 3.1 million people with sustainable sources of clean water and nearly 2.5 million people with improved sanitation. They also supported 2.9 million people with handwashing facilities and hope to provide even more.

Some more things they do:

They have an average investment of 10-15 years in a community, and they train people to manage and maintain water points which really helps keep the success in these communities.

Drill and rehabilitate wells, develop piped-water systems, and create other vital water points

Promote healthy hygiene practices through behavior changing programs

Teaching local community members how to keep the water clean and flowing

References:

Omer, S. (2024, August 9). Global water crisis: Facts, faqs, and how to help. World Vision. https://www.worldvision.org/clean-water-news-stories/global-water-crisis-facts#:~:text=BACK%20TO%20QUESTIONS-,World%20Vision’s%20water%20work,%2C%20improved%20sanitation%2C%20and%20hygiene.

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Who is affected?

-In the U.S.

Low-income and minority communities

Tribal lands

Alaskan Native villages

Colonias along the United States-Mexico border

Small communities in agricultural areas

Pardee, M. (2011). Drinking water infrastructure and environmental disparities: Evidence and methodological considerations. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222486/

-Globally

The map above shows the top 10 worst countries for access to clean water

1. Niger - 54% lack basic water services

2. Papua New Guinea - 55%

3. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 54%

4. Chad - 54%

5. Ethiopia - 50%

6. Eritrea - 48%

7. Somalia - 44%

8. Uganda - 44%

9. Angola - 43%

10. Mozambique - 37%

Notice how all but one of these countries reside in Africa

This shows a clear disproportion in access to clean water

World Vision. (n.d.). 10 worst countries for access to clean water. Retrieved September 18, 2024, from https://www.worldvision.org/clean-water-news-stories/10-worst-countries-access-clean-water

Common Waterborne Diseases

Typhoid Fever

affect up to 20 million people each year worldwide

highly contagious

Cholera

bacteria can be fatal

Giardia

can cause long-term intestinal problems

Dysentery

can be fatal if not kept hydrated enough

E. coli

elderly and children at risk for life-threatening symptoms

Hepatitis A

liver infection that can last several months

Salmonella

children, pregnant women, elderly, immunocompromised at most risk

LifeWater. (n.d.). 7 most common waterborne diseases and how to prevent them. Retrieved September 18, 2024, from https://lifewater.org/blog/7-most-common-waterborne-diseases-and-how-to-prevent-them/

Why is this a problem?

Health

Unclean water leads to diseases

Food security

Contaminated water used to grow crops can also cause foodborne illnesses

Education

Lack of access causes children to walk far to get water, taking time away from their education

Gender Equality

Women typically are the ones getting the water, taking time away from other daily activities such as work, school, or caring for family

Economics

$260 billion lost each year because of the lack of basic water and sanitation

Climate

When extreme weather hits an area that lacks access to clean water, the people are less prepared

Water.org. (n.d.). Water crisis. Retrieved September 18, 2024, from https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/