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World Water DayWater and sanitation go
hand-in-hand with adequate housing
As you read this, half of the world’s hospital beds are filled with people su�ering
from a water-related disease. Today, this 22nd annual World Water Day, there are
748 million people who do not have access to clean water and sanitation. Water is
essential to human health and, with the rapid growth of cities around the world,
access to clean water and sanitation is needed now more than ever. Each year in
developing countries, 2.2 million people, most of whom are children, die from
diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, insu�cient sanitation,
and poor hygiene.
As WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) strategies gain momentum around the
globe, more people are recognizing that mission of ending poverty housing
worldwide goes hand-in-hand with the goal of providing ready access to safe,
drinkable water and e�ective sanitation and hygiene.
By improving health conditions for the millions of impoverished people around the
globe, WASH strategies also reduce poverty. Studies show that investments in water
and sanitation services result in substantial economic gains. For example, the World
Health Organization estimates the return on investment of attaining universal
access to improved sanitation at 5.5 to 1.
Access to safe clean water and improved sanitation are an essential element of
decent housing. Recognizing this, Habitat for Humanity Malawi is implementing a
pilot WASH project in low income area of Kauma in Lilongwe district by facilitating
provision water kiosks and ecological sanitation (Ecosan) latrines. Through this
project, approximately 6,250 people will access portable water through water kiosks
while 130 families will have improved hygiene through the use of Ecosan latrines.
Since 1990, through the work of like-minded organizations and governments, over
2 billion people have gained access to improved sources of drinking water, 116
countries have met the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for water, and
more than half of the world’s population now enjoy a piped water connection in
their homes.
While great strides have clearly been made, the 748 million people still lacking
access to improved drinking water remind us that there is still much that remains to
be done. According to the World Bank, the world could provide every person
worldwide with safe water and sanitation at a cost of $107 billion a year over a
five-year period.
For this year’s World Water Day, let’s commit to ensuring access to clean water and
sanitation worldwide. The theme for world water day this year in Malawi is
SUSTAINABLE WATER DEVELOPMENT TRANSLATING FROM VISION TO ACTION.
The first of many steps toward making clean water available for all is
awareness-raising. This year, we invite you to wear blue and promote #Blue4Water
on social media, spreading the word that every human being deserves a decent
place to live. By taking action to support WASH e�orts, we can make that happen.
AMOS KALAWENATIONAL DIRECTOR