Getting the balance right A Red Cross Red Crescent call to address the imbalance between sanitation and water

The signs are clear that we need to rebalance the way we address issues of water and sanitation and align them with global issues such as health, hunger and economic growth. The lack of access to adequate and sustainable sanitation facilities takes its highest toll on the poor, underprivileged and disenfranchised. We need to explore, develop and advocate for ways of redressing this imbalance by adapting present delivery models and piloting new ones that can address this global challenge at a greater scale. We must also foster partnerships between governments, the private sector, academia and other stakeholders worldwide. Most importantly, we need to give sanitation the funding and focus it deserves.