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Water and Sanitation

In the time it takes you to read this page, one child will die for a water-related illness. Today, over 1 billion people in the world lack access to safe drinking water. That is 1 in 8 people. Children are especially vulnerable to water-borne illness, like diarrhoea. In fact, 5000 children will die today alone because they are drinking dirty water.

Sanitation is directly connected to the problem of unclean water: 80% of sewage in developing countries goes untreated, causing pollution of water sources. Lack of sanitation services is the biggest cause of infection worldwide. Yet more people around the world have access to cell phones than toilets.

Hands Across the Nations has made water and sanitation a top priority for good reason. By implementing projects like water filtration systems and public latrines, HATN helps improve the quality of drinking water and decrease the amount of water contamination. In combination with hygiene educational programs, the quality of life of the people we serve is greatly enhanced: less disease, fewer deaths and improved health.