Health benefits versus costs of water supply and sanitation

摘要

Water represents one of the most important prerequisites for life.Yet, at the start of the Twenty-first Century, water also continues to be one of the main causes of premature death. Every year millions of people, mostly in developing countries, die from diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene. Water-borne diseases in fact form the prime cause of premature death worldwide, especially for young children (WHO, 2002).