Lack of access to safe water, basic sanitation and poor hygiene practices are a major cause of disease and death among many of the world’s poor. Recognizing this fact, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies assists vulnerable communities to gain access to safe water supply and sanitation while encouraging improved hygiene practices, both in times of disaster and in the longer term developmental context.

 

The International Federation advocates the integration of hardware and software for water and sanitation interventions. In this context, “hardware” is defined as the engineering inputs

related to appropriate equipment and construction, such as tanks, pipes, pumps and latrines. “Software” can be defined through activities in the areas of hygiene promotion, local capacity-building, stakeholder involvement, monitoring and evaluation of impact and encouraging behavioural change, in order to ensure that water and sanitation systems deliver the optimum and most sustainable health and social benefits to the end users.