Global Safe Water Crisis
THE GLOBAL SAFE WATER CRISIS
Through its new safe water initiative, International Aid is working to help address a global public health crisis of enormous urgency and scale. Water contamination is closely linked to bacterial, parasitic and other waterborne diseases, especially cholera and diarrhea; it is estimated that 80 percent of all disease is waterborne.
Key recent statistics:
- More than 10 million people – half of them children and teens – die each year from diseases related to unsafe drinking water.
- More than five billion individuals worldwide lack access to safe water.
- The crisis is particularly acute in the developing world: in Latin America and the Caribbean alone, more than 130 million people live without safe drinking water in their homes.
- In the United States, following Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans residents faced dehydration, disease and death for days after the disaster. Clean drinking water was the most critical need.
A Common Misconception
In most cases, water availability is not the primary issue. In fact, the notion of “scarce water” has impeded understanding the roots of the crisis. The real challenge is making the provision of clean water sustainable and economically viable, typically in communities contending with severe poverty and ineffective leadership – or the aftermath of a natural disaster.
The Status Quo
In most developing countries, contaminated water is hauled with tremendous inefficiency, using highly labor-intensive means. Concrete filtration devices have been reasonably effective, but their weight (typically more than 300 pounds) makes them impractical and susceptible to damage during transport in difficult terrain.
The Opportunity
Making contaminated water safe is one of the simplest, most direct solutions for combating illness. And, in addition to the potentially dramatic public health impact, reducing waterborne infectious diseases can help combat poverty and promote significant economic growth in today’s global society.
Through the distribution of the new HydrAid™ BioSand Water Filter a related focus on education and training; and collaboration with its current and prospective partners, International Aid is seeking to bring these benefits to communities worldwide.
