Clean Water

Six hundred sixty three million people in the world do not have access to clean water,¹ and over 2.7 billion people face water shortages for at least one month out of the year.² Over 3.4 million people die as a result of contaminated water annually,³ and diarrheal diseases, largely caused by contaminated water, are one of the leading causes of death in children under five. Together, they’re responsible for approximately 525,000 child fatalities annually.⁴ Poor sanitation infrastructure and hygiene practices contaminate many local water supplies, and the majority of waterborne illnesses are caused by ingesting water contaminated with fecal matter⁵ — over 2 billion people around the world lack access to a toilet.⁶ Additionally, 38 percent of medical facilities lack access to an adequate water supply, 19 percent lack proper sanitation infrastructure — 35 percent do not have soap or hand-washing stations.⁷