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Some 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services. IDRC Photo: Karen Spierkel

Poor sanitation, hygiene, and unsafe water claim the lives of more than a million children under the age of five every year. The estimated 2.6 billion people without access to proper sanitation are vulnerable to disease, malnutrition, poverty, and death.  

 

To focus attention on what it has deemed a global crisis, the United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of Sanitation. According to Sha Zukang, UN Under-Secretary General for  Economic and Social Affairs, “Sanitation is not a dirty word; it is a critical factor in human welfare and sustainable development. We need to put the spotlight on this silent crisis.” For more information

 

The slideshow below illustrates the scope of the problem and the economic, social, and health impacts on the daily lives of those lacking access to basic sanitation services. It also outlines the efforts underway to share good practices and accelerate progress.

 

Document(s) 1 of 5