Human faeces are dangerous. They contain bacteria, viruses and worms, all of which can cause a multitude of diseases.
Without adequate toilets and hand-washing facilities these pathogens can easily be transmitted to humans - via flies, dirty hands, crops or food.
Every day 5000 children under five die from diarrhoea related diseases.
This makes diarrhoea the second most prevalent cause of child mortality after pneumonia. In addition, worm infections affect nutrition and the cognitive development of children. Improved sanitation has the power to reduce diarrhea and child mortality dramatically.
Sanitation is one of the most effective preventive medicines.
- 1,5 million children under age five die yearly from diarrhoea*
- 88% of diarrhoeal deaths are related to a lack of water and sanitation*
- 17% of total under five child mortality are caused by diarrhoea (not including neonatal diarrhoea)**
- Improved sanitation and hygiene reduces diarrhoea-related deaths by 2/3***
- Using a basic toilet reduces the number of diarrhoea cases by 32%****
* Progress for Children 6 (PFC 6)
** WHO 2005, CHERG
*** PFC 5
**** Fewtrell et al 2005