A human right since 2010

Sanitation

Good hygiene conditions prevent diseases

According to a UN report, 4.5 billion people have no access to clean toilets. Although the right to sanitation was introduced by the United Nations in 2010 alongside the right to drinking water.

Hundreds of thousands of children die due to poor hygienic conditions

Insufficient sanitation is the main cause of water contamination with pathogens. According to the latest estimates, regular hand washing can reduce the risk of diarrhea by about 45%. Diarrhea is the leading cause of death in children under five years of age. Every year, about 520,000 children die from its consequences.

Preventing disease through good hygiene

Good sanitation is a prerequisite for hygiene and the prevention of disease. It not only contributes to the health of people and especially to the good development of children, but it also has a beneficial effect on the economic strength of a region. Productivity losses in communities or absenteeism from school due to illness can be prevented. The WaterFoundation is therefore also building hand washing facilities and toilets in the project regions.

Toilet facilities for 5,000 pupils: before and after

Toilets, showers and hand washing facilities for schools and villages in mountain regions

In Ethiopia, the first toilets were built in the schools of Mulataa and Birbirsa. The subsequent construction of toilets and hand washing facilities for 5,000 students and teachers was linked to the largest water supply project to date in Bilaa, Ethiopia. In Tanzania, toilets were built for 4,000 students as part of a CloudFisher fog collector project. In a remote mountain region of Peru, the WaterFoundation has also set up toilets, hand washing and shower facilities for 200 people.

Ausgewählte Projekte

Find out more about our sanitation projects