The WASH campaign: water, sanitation and hygiene for all

摘要

How many children worldwide do you think will die, owing to water related diseases, in the 10 minutes it takes you to read this article? Have a guess. The harsh reality is shocking and thought-provoking: 40 children will die in the next ten minutes, 250 in the hour; 6000 per day and a staggering 2.2 million each year. Lack of sanitation is the world's biggest cause of infection. It deprives hundreds of millions of people not only of health but of energy, dignity and quality of life. These issues have been shrouded in embarrassment for too long. Safe sanitation and water supply - aided by hygiene - are what helped transform health and productivity in the industrialised countries, and are of crucial importance to a nation's economic, social and environmental development.