An Estimated 3.6 Billion People – Half of the World's Population – Still Lack Safe Sanitation at Home

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation are human rights to which we are all entitled. They are fundamental for human survival, dignity, economic development and well-being. In the absence of safe water and sanitation, children are more likely to be out of school and there is an increased risk of disease outbreaks, intercommunal tension and population displacement. When government and civil society leaders met at the last United Nations Water Conference in 1977, most countries lacked the tools needed to systematically measure their water resources. Fortunately, our capacity to effectively monitor and manage water resources has improved considerably and access has expanded. Since 2000, around 600 million children have gained access to safely managed drinking water and 700 million have gained access to safely managed sanitation services. But this progress is not enough. An estimated 3.6 billion people – half of the world’s population – still lack safe sanitation at home, while 1.8 billion live in homes without safe drinking water. Each year, 829,000 people die from diseases directly attributable to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene practices.

Source: https://www.unicef.org/media/137206/file/triple-threat-wash-EN.pdf