The health implications of inadequate access to a safe water

Children who drink unsafe water become weak and susceptible to waterborne diseases, one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of 5.

1.7 million children die every year from diseases that could have been prevented simply by handwashing. Unsafe water and poor sanitation can lead to malnutrition or make it worse. "No matter how much food a malnourished child eats, he or she will not get better if the water they are drinking is not safe," said Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF Director of Emergency Programs.

Key Facts:

• 829,000 people die each year from diarrhea as a result of unsafe drinking-water, sanitation, and hand hygiene.
• 785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water.
• Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with feces.
• Contaminated water can transmit diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000 diarrhoeal deaths each year.
• In the least developed countries, 22% of health care facilities have no water service, 21% no sanitation service, and 22% no waste management service.