Surveys from 45 developing countries show that women and children bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households. This is time not spent working at an income-generating job, caring for family members, or attending school.12
443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related illness.9
Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under five in the world. Around 1.5 million deaths each year - nearly one in five – are caused by diarrhea. It kills more children than malaria, AIDS, and measles combined. 1
Every 21 seconds, a child dies from diarrhea.1
An estimated 4,100 children under the age of five die each day from diarrhea globally. Malnutrition, due to dirty water, inadequate sanitation, and hygiene, is estimated to lead to death in an additional 2,350 children under the age of five each day.1
Nearly 1.5 million children under the age of five die every year from diarrhea globally.1
It is estimated that in the 1980s a child died approximately every six seconds from diarrhea1
90% of the deaths due to diarrheal diseases are children under 5 years old, mostly in developing countries. 7
Resource Links
Look for more facts in our collection of Water Resource Links.References
- Estimated with data from Diarhhoea: Why children are still dying and what can be done. UNICEF, WHO 2009
- Estimated with data from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation. (2012). Progress on Sanitation and Drinking-Water, 2012 Update.
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2008). Safer Water, Better Health: Costs, benefits, and sustainability of interventions to protect and promote health; Updated Table 1: WSH deaths by region, 2004.
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU). (2011). The World in 2011 ICT Facts and Figures
- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2011). State of World Population 2011, People and possibilities in a world of 7 billion
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2004). Evaluation of the Costs and Benefits of Water and Sanitation Improvements at the Global Level
- UN Water. (2008). Tackling a global crisis: International Year of Sanitation 2008
- UN Water. (2009). The United Nations World Water Development Report 3, Water in a Changing World
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2006). Human Development Report 2006, Beyond Scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis
- Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). (2000). Linking Sustainability with Demand, Gender and Poverty: A study in community-managed water supply projects in 15 countries
- Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). (2010). Financing On-Site Sanitation for the Poor, A Six County Comparative Review and Analysis
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2002). The World Health Report 2002, Reducing Risks, Promoting Health Life
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2004). Evaluation of the Costs and Benefits of Water and Sanitation Improvements at the Global Level
