Water and Health

More than one billion people drink unsafe water and 2.4 billion, 40% of the human race are without adequate sanitation, and 3.4 million people, mostly children, die every year of water-related diseases (more than one million from malaria alone), the majority of them unnecessarily.

But the picture is neither gloomy nor hopeless, says the World Health Organization (WHO) in a report on water and sanitation released here on the eve of World Water Day, Thursday, 22 March.

Optimistic but realistic, the WHO report, entitled "Water for Health - Taking Charge", strongly urges several basic measures, including purifying water (chlorination and sodis), and improving hygiene, as immediate means of improving people’s water supply in developing countries.

More information:
- Press Release WHO 21 March 2001
- World Water Day 2001

Related news:
- World Water Day 2001: Water and Health (7/3/2001)

Foto © WHO: "Water is life"

Date of publication: 21/03/2001

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