Clean Water and Sanitation
Good health begins with clean water. Poor sanitation, water and hygiene have many serious consequences:
- Hundreds of thousands of women and children die each year from water-related illnesses.
- Women are forced to spend large parts of their day fetching water;
- Poor farmers and wage earners are less productive due to illness;
- Health systems are overwhelmed and national economies suffer.
It’s impossible to break the vicious cycle of poverty – and enable sustainable development – without first addressing these issues.
Increasing access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene is essential to health, education, and income
Water Changes Lives
Increasing access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is essential. Our community health workers play a large role in WASH education and supporting behavior change. They educate local communities by raising awareness around the importance and health impact of hand washing, dedicated toilets, and clean drinking water.
Our approach includes:
• WASH education
• Water source construction, maintenance, and repair
• Water treatment products
• Latrine construction, including at schools to support education for girls
• Development of safe water sources, indoor plumbing, and waste management at local health facilities