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GHBB23 WASHBrief

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32 views

GHBB23 WASHBrief

Uploaded by

Nilam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH)

What You Should Know


Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) health, combating neglected tropical diseases, and
services plays an important role in protecting the addressing food and nutrition security.
health, security, resilience, and economic potential
of people worldwide. A lack of WASH is a driver of Yet, 2 billion people lack access to safely managed
poverty and loss of life. Estimates show that access water services and 3.6 billion lack access to safely
to WASH could have prevented 3.3% (1.9 million) of managed sanitation services.2 More than 802 million
global deaths and 13% of deaths of children younger children lack access to basic handwashing facilities
than 5 in 2016.1 with soap and water in school,3 and half of healthcare
facilities worldwide lack basic hygiene services.4 This
WASH is the first line of defense in preventing and exacerbates risks for disease, curtails the ability of
slowing the spread of most disease outbreaks, such people and communities to meet their basic needs
as flu, diarrhea, and Ebola. Development efforts are for economic advancement, and deepens health in-
more effective and sustainable when they address equities.
WASH, as it is key to improving maternal and child

Congressional Calls to Action

Recognize the importance of water security to U.S. national security.


Support U.S. efforts to achieve equitable access to WASH and promote sustainable
management of water resources to protect U.S. national security. WASH programming
bolsters global economic prosperity and helps prevent conflicts. Estimates show that
by 2050 water insecurity could cost some regions up to 6% of gross domestic product.5

Support increased WASH program funding and integrate WASH financing across
sectors.
Provide robust funding for development assistance and economic support accounts,
which fund U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) water and sanitation
programs and help integrate WASH in global health and development programs,
emergency responses, and humanitarian crises. Also, support the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by increasing its capacity for preventing and
responding to water-related health risks.

Improve aid effectiveness by supporting cross-sector WASH integration,


conducting oversight, and leveraging the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World
Act.
The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act coordinates WASH policy across the
U.S. government and links indicators to positive health outcomes. WASH programming
should give increased attention to the needs of women and girls, the differently abled,
and other marginalized communities disproportionately affected by lack of WASH.

Global Health Briefing Book - WASH


Why is this investment important?
Bipartisan leadership from the U.S. administration Climate shocks, increasing water scarcity, population
and Congress has helped to improve safe WASH growth, demographic changes, and urbanization
access and water security for millions globally. In pose increasing challenges for water supply and san-
Fiscal Year 2020, USAID helped 3.9 million people gain itation systems. By 2025, half the world’s population
access to sustainable drinking water and 4.1 million will live in water-stressed areas. Limited access to
people gain access to sustainable sanitation services safe drinking water worsens humanitarian emergen-
in 51 countries.6 U.S. WASH investments reduce cies. For example, children living in conflict areas are
morbidity and mortality from WASH-related illness almost three times more likely to die from diarrheal
and other infections and build water management diseases caused by a lack of safe WASH than by direct
practices that lead to economic growth. In addition, violence. WASH solutions are needed to support
scaling up woman- and girl-friendly WASH facilities ongoing development programs and reach high-
in communities and expanding menstrual health and risk communities. These solutions establish more
hygiene programming support women’s health and resilient and sustainable WASH systems and water
promote gender equity. supplies, leading to healthier populations.

WASH programming
should give increased
attention to the needs
of women and girls, the
differently abled, and other
marginalized communities
disproportionately affected
by lack of WASH.

Global Health Briefing Book - WASH Photo: Mani Karmacharya- Wateraid


Contributors
Christopher Askew-Merwin, InterAction

Danielle Heiberg, WaterAid America

Citations
1. World Health Organization (WHO). “Safe Water, Better Health.” 2019. https://www.who.int/publications/i/
item/9789241516891

2. WHO / UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme. “Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 2000-
2020: Five Years into the SDGs.” 2021. https://washdata.org/sites/default/files/2021-07/jmp-2021-wash-households.
pdf

3. WHO / UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme. “WASH in Schools.” 2022. https://data.unicef.org/topic/water-and-san-


itation/wash-in-schools/

4. WHO / UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme. “Progress on WASH in health care facilities 2000-2021: Special focus
on WASH and infection prevention and control (IPC).” 2022. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/progress-on-
wash-in-health-care-facilities-2000-2021--special-focus-on-wash-and-infection-prevention-and-control-(ipc)

5. World Bank. “High and Dry: Climate Change, Water, and the Economy.” 2016. https://openknowledge.worldbank.
org/handle/10986/23665?mc_cid=4b29986137&mc_eid=88584d365d

6. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). “Global Water and Development Report: FY 2020 Annual Report
of Water Security, Sanitation, and Hygiene Activities.” 2021. https://www.globalwaters.org/sites/default/files/glob-
al-water-and-development-annual-report-2021-121421-508.pdf

Global Health Briefing Book - WASH

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