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"Safe drinking water, good sanitation and hygiene are fundamental to people’s health, survival, growth and development. Yet, roughly one-sixth of the world’s population lacks access to safe water, and around two-fifths lack adequate sanitation. In terms of human suffering and financial loss the costs are enormous. In developing countries, for example, the costs of disease and productivity losses linked to inadequate clean water and sanitation are equivalent to 2% of gross domestic product. Children are particularly hard hit, as dirty water and poor sanitation account for most of the 5000 childhood deaths that occur every day from diarrhea. Water-related diseases also prevent them from attending school – costing 443 million school days every year. Lack of water and sanitation also raises serious issues of personal safety and dignity, particularly in urban areas. Girls in both rural and urban areas drop out of school when they reach puberty, for instance, because toilets are not available that offer any privacy. Women may also drop out of the urban workforce for the same reason. In urban areas issues of personal safety may mean that many people, particularly women and girls, cannot leave their houses at night to go to the toilet. As a result, they are forced to simply throw excreta into the dirty and poorly drained streets outside their homes." |
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