Sanitation
In today's world, the health of a child begins with their early years. As many as 3 billion people do not have access to clean water or toilets, and many more lack basic hygiene practices like soap. To reduce the risks of COVID-19 and provide children a brighter future, we need to provide every child access to clean water, good sanitation facilities and basic hygiene practices.
Clean water and good hygiene practices help keep children thriving, but this right is not guaranteed for many young people. Around three billion people worldwide do not have access to handwashing facilities with soap.
We work with partners to deliver proven solutions in education, health and sanitation by helping communities build the knowledge, capacity and momentum they need to reduce risks from COVID-19.
Key Facts
Globally 2.2 billion people live without access to safe drinking water.
Over half of the global population does not have access to sanitation.
Three billion people do not have access to handwashing facilities with soap.
673 million people practice open defecation.
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The quality of water, hygiene and sanitation practices in schools is a vital factor for healthy children. Good sanitation facilities not only ensure a safe and hygienic environment for all students, but it also helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia.
Sanitation is a basic human right, which requires access to safe and adequate sanitation systems in communities. Without basic sanitation services, people have no choice but to use inadequate communal latrines or to practise open defecation, posing a risk to health and livelihoods.
A toilet is an essential part of the sustainable development cycle, however people often disregard the issue of proper waste management. Even in communities with toilets, waste containment may not be adequate. If they are difficult to clean or not designed or maintained to safely contain, transport and treat excreta, for example, waste might come into contact with people and the environment. These factors make sustainable development nearly impossible.
Open Defecation
Defecating in the open contributes to a serious public health problem in many countries. It is an important factor in childhood stunting, can undermine productivity and reduce household food security. It also puts children at risk of violence, sexual abuse and mistreatment. Millions of girls and women travel long distances each year just to access a public toilet. We need to make it easier for people to practice good hygiene.
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