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570,000 children under the age of 5 die from respiratory infections such as pneumonia, attributed to indoor and outdoor pollution and cigarette smoke4.
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200,000 under-five deaths from malaria could be prevented by environmental action, such as reducing mosquito breeding sites and improving drinking water storage4.
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200,000 children under the age of 5 die from unintentional injuries attributed to their environment, such as poisoning, falls, and drowning4.
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Currently an estimated 2.1 billion people worldwide live without safe drinking water³.
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More than 2 billion people face serious health risks because basic water services are not available in one out of four hospitals worldwide5.
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It is estimated that one out of every five births takes place in the world's 47 poorest countries. This means that every year 17 million women in these countries give birth in health centers with inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies5.
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Children in conflict settings are three times more likely to die from water-related diseases than from violence6.
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3.5 million people die in the world from problems related to inadequate water supplies every year6.
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More than 1.5 million children under the age of 5 die each year worldwide from problems related to inadequate water supplies4.
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10% of the world's recorded illnesses could be prevented if governments invested more in access to water, hygiene measures, and sanitation³.
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Diarrhea kills 2,195 children a day and claims more victims than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined. It is the second leading cause of death among boys and girls between 1 month and 5 years old worldwide4.
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Infant mortality has been halved from 12.7 million in 1990 to 5.9 million in 20154.
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4% of the population (25.5 million people) suffered from diarrhea in 2015, of which 60% were children under 5 years old³.
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38% of health care facilities in 54 countries lack access to basic water sources, and about 20% of them lack primary sanitation infrastructure³.
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For every US$1 invested in sanitation, the Organization estimates a return of nearly six times, considering lower health costs, increased productivity, and fewer premature deaths².
Source1: Unesco, 2019
Source2: World Health Organization (WHO
Source3: Water Resources Development Report - UN-Water
Source4: “Atlas on Children’s Health and the Environment” - WHO 2017
Source5: United Nations
Source6: Unicef
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