" WASH " Water Sanitation & Hygiene

The acronym “WASH” stands for water, sanitation, and hygiene. These basic necessities of life are not available to many people in developing countries all around the world. In fact, 748 million people do not have access to clean, safe drinking water and 2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation.

An estimated 50 percent of undernutrition is due to inadequate water and sanitation. Malnutrition and diarrheal disease are closely linked. When it does not kill, repeated bouts of early childhood diarrhea can negatively affect physical and cognitive development.4 Reductions in diarrheal disease, which could be achieved by providing improved sanitation and water supply, can prevent long-term morbidity and at least 860,000 child deaths a year caused by undernutrition. Diarrhoea and pneumonia are the two leading causes of child death in the world today Diarrhea and pneumonia, often caused by lack of WASH, kill millions of children each year. Diarrhea and malnutrition associated with WASH leads to stunting and decreased cognitive ability in children, negatively affecting the rest of their lives. Unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation form a vicious cycle of disease and poverty in communities without access to WASH. Nearly one third of the current global population has gained access to an improved sanitation facility since 1990, a total of 2.1 billion people.2.4 billion people still do not have basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or latrines. Of these, 946 million still defecate in the open, for example in street gutters, behind bushes or into open bodies of water. Poor sanitation is linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. Inadequate sanitation is estimated to cause 280 000 diarrhoeal deaths annually and is a major factor in several neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms, schistosomiasis, and trachoma. Poor sanitation also contributes to malnutrition. Over 500,000 children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. That's over 1,400 children a day. Right now, more than 50 per cent of hospital beds in developing countries are filled with people who have an illness caused by poor sanitation or dirty water Sub-Saharan Africa has made slower progress, with sanitation coverage rising from 24% to 30% in 2015. In 47 countries, less than half the population has access to a toilet or an improved latrine. Challenges In 2013, the UN Deputy Secretary General issued a call to action on sanitation that included the elimination of open defecation by 2025. Achieving universal access to a basic drinking water source appears within reach but universal access to basic sanitation will require additional efforts. The situation of the urban poor poses a growing challenge as they live increasingly in mega cities where sewerage is precarious or non-existent and space for toilets and removal of waste is at a premium. Inequalities in access are compounded when sewage removed from wealthier households is discharged into storm drains, waterways or landfills, polluting poor residential areas. There is not much reliable data but estimates suggest that up to 90% of wastewater in developing countries is discharged partially treated or untreated directly into rivers, lakes or the ocean. Wastewater is increasingly seen as a resource providing reliable water and nutrients for food production to feed growing urban populations. But there needs to be: management practices that ensure wastewater is sufficiently treated and safely reused; institutional oversight and regulation; public education campaigns to inform people about wastewater use