Importance of Teaching Household Water Storage
UNICEF
PROMOTION OF HOUSEHOLD WATER TREATMENT AND SAFE STORAGE IN UNICEF WASH PROGRAMMES January 2008
PROMOTION OF HOUSEHOLD WATER TREATMENT AND SAFE STORAGE IN UNICEF WASH PROGRAMMES
Why is household water treatment and safe storage an important intervention for preventing disease?
Unsafe drinking water, along with poor sanitation and hygiene, are the main contributors to an estimated 4 billion cases of diarrhoeal disease annually, causing more than 1.5 million deaths, mostly among children under 5 years of age (WHO 2005). Because diarrhoeal diseases inhibit normal ingestion of foods and adsorption of nutrients, continued high morbidity also contributes to malnutrition, a separate cause of significant mortality; it also leads to impaired physical growth and cognitive function, reduced resistance to infection, and potentially long-term gastrointestinal disorders. Contaminated drinking water is also a major source of hepatitis, typhoid and opportunistic infections that attack the immuno-compromised, especially persons living with HIV/AIDS. Outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) add to the disease burden and require costly diversion of scarce health and other resources to minimize fatalities. Diseases associated with contaminated water also exact a heavy economic load in the developing countries, both on the public heath care system for treatment and on persons affected for transport to clinics, medicines and lost productivity. They also adversely impact school attendance and performance, particularly for girls and young women who must care for and assume the duties of ill parents and siblings. As part of its Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations expressed its commitment by 2015 to reduce by one half the people without sustainable access to safe drinking water. Current estimates are that there are still 1.1 billion people without this access (WHO/UNICEF 2006). Considerable progress is being made in expanding the coverage of “improved water
PROMOTION OF HOUSEHOLD WATER TREATMENT AND SAFE STORAGE IN UNICEF WASH PROGRAMMES January 2008
PROMOTION OF HOUSEHOLD WATER TREATMENT AND SAFE STORAGE IN UNICEF WASH PROGRAMMES
Why is household water treatment and safe storage an important intervention for preventing disease?
Unsafe drinking water, along with poor sanitation and hygiene, are the main contributors to an estimated 4 billion cases of diarrhoeal disease annually, causing more than 1.5 million deaths, mostly among children under 5 years of age (WHO 2005). Because diarrhoeal diseases inhibit normal ingestion of foods and adsorption of nutrients, continued high morbidity also contributes to malnutrition, a separate cause of significant mortality; it also leads to impaired physical growth and cognitive function, reduced resistance to infection, and potentially long-term gastrointestinal disorders. Contaminated drinking water is also a major source of hepatitis, typhoid and opportunistic infections that attack the immuno-compromised, especially persons living with HIV/AIDS. Outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) add to the disease burden and require costly diversion of scarce health and other resources to minimize fatalities. Diseases associated with contaminated water also exact a heavy economic load in the developing countries, both on the public heath care system for treatment and on persons affected for transport to clinics, medicines and lost productivity. They also adversely impact school attendance and performance, particularly for girls and young women who must care for and assume the duties of ill parents and siblings. As part of its Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations expressed its commitment by 2015 to reduce by one half the people without sustainable access to safe drinking water. Current estimates are that there are still 1.1 billion people without this access (WHO/UNICEF 2006). Considerable progress is being made in expanding the coverage of “improved water