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World|opinion & analysis|February 27, 2017 / 11:28 AM
At least 1.8 billion people globally use a drinking-water source contaminated with faeces

AKIPRESS.COM - Millions of people suffer from lack of clean drinking water. About 1.8 billion people in the world use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces, reported the World Health Organization (WHO).

Quality of drinking water plays a big role in the development and wellbeing of people, according to WHO.

Experts call upon guarantee of access to secure water supply and alert that if actions will not be taken immediately billions of people will continue to become infected caused by anti sanitary and an absence of access to drinking water.

The risk group is in fast growing cities of Africa and Asia where most people do not have opportunities to use drainage and other elementary sanitary services.

Key WHO facts:

  • In 2015, 91% of the world’s population had access to an improved drinking-water source, compared with 76% in 1990.
  • 2.6 billion people have gained access to an improved drinking-water source since 1990.
  • 4.2 billion people now get water through a piped connection; 2.4 billion access water through other improved sources including public taps, protected wells and boreholes.
  • 663 million people rely on unimproved sources, including 159 million dependent on surface water.
  • Globally, at least 1.8 billion people use a drinking-water source contaminated with faeces.
  • Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. Contaminated drinking-water is estimated to cause 502 000 diarrhoeal deaths each year.
  • By 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas.
  • In low- and middle-income countries, 38% of health care facilities lack improved water source, 19% do not have improved sanitation and 35% lack water and soap for handwashing.

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