UN: Water, Sanitation Crisis Killing Millions of Children, page 1

posted on Nov, 9 2006 @ 12:40 PM

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According to the latest UN report, almost 2 milion childeren die each year due to the lack of water or proper sanitation. Most of these deaths are caused by diarrhea and dysentery, the result of water polluted by human waste. The lack of access to clean water is also a powerful driver of inequality, with the wealthy, who are connected to utilities, paying the least per liter, and the poor, who buy water from local providers, paying the most.

allafrica.com
Simply installing a flush toilet in the home increases by almost 60 percent a Peruvian child's chances of surviving to her first birthday, according to data in the 2006 Human Development Report documenting the often-fatal consequences of inadequate sanitation in developing countries.

The Report shows that the efficacy of human-waste disposal is one of the strongest determinants of child survival around the world. Improving sanitation in the home— advancing from open defecation to using a pit latrine to installing a flush toilet reduces overall child mortality by about a third, say the authors of the Report, entitled Beyond scarcity: power, poverty and the global water crisis.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

I really can't believe 2.6 bilion people don't have acces to proper sanitation.

I strongly agree that clean water should be a right for everyone on this planet, as the UN says. We should do everything in power to make this happen, to make sure everyone has acces to basic sanitation.

Related News Links:
www.un.org

[edit on 9/11/2006 by rai76]

soficrow

posted on Nov, 11 2006 @ 05:24 PM

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Great find.

Did you know that industry is our planet's worst water polluter and fresh water waster? Water flushes arsenic in gold mines, replaces oil in oil wells, and more. Leaving only contaminated water behind for native residents to use, if any.

Funny - but simply providing clean water, and installing working toilets world-wide will do more to protect human health than a factory full of drugs.

Just seems too simple.

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polanksi

posted on Nov, 12 2006 @ 03:10 PM

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Under the industrial countries globalization policies countries like Peru are being required to privitize their utilities. This is exactly what results. The poor are required to pay more for necessities as the wealthy countries become wealthier. These conditionalities or structural adjustments are shameful, but apparently money still talks.