Lack of Clean Water Cited in Millions’ Deaths
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BRUSSELS — More than 1 billion people have no access to clean water and 3.4 million die every year of diseases that could easily be remedied by better supplies and sanitation, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
The world’s poor pay more than the rich for worse water--up to 20% of household incomes--and face a greater risk of waterborne illnesses, the WHO said during a news conference to mark World Water Day today.
“In 1990, 1.1 billion people were without access to improved water--even just a covered well. In 2000, the number was the same,” said Jamie Bartram, the WHO’s water, sanitation and health coordinator.
He said that 2.4 billion people had no basic sanitation in 1990 and that the situation was the same in 2000.
Besides increasing the risk of disease, the lack of safe water condemns many women and children to poverty, depriving them of education or jobs by forcing them to spend time carrying water.
The challenge of getting clean water to all is increasing, the WHO said, because the world’s population is becoming more urbanized and because climate changes could increase flooding and bring tropical diseases to temperate regions.
It said easy and inexpensive efforts to purify water and improve hygiene could drastically reduce deaths caused by dirty water.
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