WASH: Why it is Vital for Our Health and Our Future !
Water, sanitation, hygiene… everyday actions that change lives!
We turn on the tap, go to the toilet, wash our hands… simple actions that seem obvious to us. Yet for billions of people, access to clean water, decent toilets and basic hygiene remains a luxury, not a right. The WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) sector works tirelessly to make these realities accessible to all. But why is this so important?
1- Water: Our Source of Life and Health
- Drinking water: Essential for survival, it prevents terrible diseases. Without it, dehydration and infections wreak havoc, especially among children.
- Water for hygiene: Washing your hands, face, clothes… These simple actions with clean water prevent the spread of germs and diseases such as diarrhoea.
2- Sanitation: Better than Toilets? Dignified Toilets!
- Ending open defecation: This is a major risk to public health and the environment.
- Safe toilets: These protect dignity, especially that of women and girls, and prevent contamination of water sources.
3- Hygiene: The Key Element
- Soap is our best ally: it destroys viruses and bacteria. Washing your hands at the right time (after going to the toilet, before eating) reduces illness by 40%!
- Menstrual hygiene: Ensuring that women and girls have access to appropriate sanitary protection and facilities is crucial for their education and health.
The Cost of Inaction: Figures that Speak for Themselves
- 2.4 billion people do not have access to safe sanitation facilities.
- 750 million people lack access to safe drinking water.
- These shortages result in millions of preventable deaths each year, particularly among children.
How to proceed ?
- Get informed and spread the word! Raise awareness among your friends and family about the importance of WASH.
- Support NGOs working in the field (ASSAUVET, Malteser International, UNICEF, WASH Matters, etc.).
- Adopt good practices at home: save water, use soap, and ensure your toilets are hygienic.
Together, let us make the right to water, sanitation and hygiene a reality for all!
