Sanitation

Most people know that you can’t survive without water. But the truth is slightly more nuanced. You need more than just water – you need SAFE water. You also need safe toilets to keep the environment clean, and as well as soap and water to stop the spread of disease. Find out more about why safe water, sanitation and hygiene are so important: 1.…

Climate change threatens the lives, health and well-being of children. They are the most vulnerable to its effects, and those who live in low-income communities are at particularly high risk of harm. To save and protect lives and prevent climate change’s worst impacts on children, we need to act now. There are clear, practical solutions that work…, Paving the way for a climate resilient education system in India, A group of students using polybags from waste and fill them with field soil to grow the saplings for school nursery  during environmental activities session at a school in Maharashtra, India India, 2023. Students use polybags from waste and fill them with field soil to grow saplings for their school nursery as part of an environmental activities…, Early detection of groundwater depletion in Madagascar, The semi-arid southern region of Madagascar has been hit hard by years of severe droughts, which has left more than 4.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The region has the country’s lowest water supply coverage, which is further exacerbated by climate change. The lack of rainfall and other environmental factors have also affected…, Innovations in climate risk reduction in Venezuela, A boy, 10, collects safe water at the UNICEF-installed solar-powered water treatment plant in Venezuela Venezuela, 2023. Dahir Franco, 10,collects safe water at the UNICEF-installed solar-powered water treatment plant in San Francisco de Guayo, Venezuela. Disaster risk reduction is an essential element of responding to climate change as children…, Reducing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from sanitation in Kampala, Uganda, Two masons construct a new pit latrine with a bathroom in a village in Uganda. Uganda, 2022. Two masons construct a new municipality-approved pit latrine with a bathroom, for a commercial structure in Mukono, Uganda. Climate change and sanitation are intrinsically connected. Poorly managed sanitation emits significant greenhouse gas (GHG)…

All children have the right to safe drinking water and sanitation. These resources are as critical to a child’s survival as food, medical care, and protection. However, from the State of Palestine to Ukraine, to Yemen and beyond, protracted crises and conflict are depriving children of these rights.  In fragile contexts and areas affected by…

The global community currently has the extraordinary opportunity to enable another 3 billion people – 40 per cent of the world’s population – to wash their hands at home. Hand hygiene protects us from contracting and transmitting COVID-19, and is also one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in general. To…

The world is rapidly urbanising, swelling impoverished urban settlement populations – exacerbating exclusion and inequality in access to WASH services for the poorest and most marginalised children and their families. As of 2018 an estimated 4.2 billion people, or 55 per cent of the global population, were living in urban areas. A third of them…

QUINARA, Guinea-Bissau ─ Using toilets and washing hands with soap is essential to keep children and families in good health. But in Guinea-Bissau, open defecation remains a deeply rooted practice.  Going out in open spaces rather than using a toilet is a dangerous challenge: human waste near waterways and homes spreads diseases quickly, putting…

Joint UNICEF-WHO report reveals latest data and gaps in access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services

JHARKHAND, India – What would you do if once a month, for five days, you were banned from socializing with your friends? From cooking, playing sports, or going to school? From sleeping on beds or going outside at all? In many parts of India, this is a reality for girls when they’re on their period. There is a common belief that the blood released…

It’s unclear who first invented the toilet. Early contenders include an ancient settlement in Scotland dating back to 3000 B.C. and a palace on Crete that was built around 1700 B.C. Fast forward to today: around 60% of the world – 4.5 billion people – don’t have a toilet that safely manages human waste at home. Here’s why it matters: Toilets save…

Each year thousands of child deaths in Afghanistan could be avoided by using toilets and washing hands. Nili district in central Afghanistan recently celebrated being declared ‘open defecation free’ – a first in the country. Fatima, 23, is one of the people behind this change, helping to create a healthier environment for children and the entire…

From saving young lives to boosting girls’ attendance in schools – safe water and sanitation can have immense health and societal benefits. Learn how, after a UNICEF initiative brought improved water and sanitation to Qholaqhoe High School, students are sharing these benefits into the wider community.    QHOLAQHOE, Lesotho, 27 September 2017 – The…

2.1 billion people, or 3 in 10 people worldwide, lack access to safe, readily available water at home, and 6 in 10, or 4.4 billion, lack safely managed sanitation, according to the newest WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report .    For children, access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene not only keeps them alive and healthy, it also…