UNICEF: Saving lives with safe water
Nairobi, Kenya, World Water Day 2010
Three quarters of the planet is covered by water, yet only about one per cent is available for human agricultural, manufacturing, community and personal use.
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 2.2 million deaths worldwide. Of these, some 1.5 million occur in children under five.
To prevent these unnecessary deaths, people are changing the way they think about water in their homes. Today, simple, cost-effective ways to prevent disease known collectively as household water treatment and safe storage techniques (HWTS) are one key way to improve the lives of children and their families.