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Safe Water and Sanitation |
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A lack of access to clean water and sanitation in many African communities can have fatal implications for children's health. An estimated 13% of all households in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to clean drinking water, while water-borne diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, schistosomiasis, trachoma and intestinal worms threaten the lives of millions of children. In addition, many children must walk long distances each day to retrieve clean water, taking time away from school and other productive pursuits
These problems are most acute in rural regions of Eastern and Southern Africa. In Mozambique, 72% of the urban population has access to safe water while only 26% of the rural population has access to the same. In Zambia, safe drinking water is accessible by 90% of the urban population but only 40% of the rural population. In Ethiopia, 81% of the urban population has access to safe drinking water compared to 11% of the rural population (UNICEF; 2006).
In response to these challenges, and working primarily in rural communities and in arid regions, World Vision has drilled wells and erected water storage containers to collect, purify and store rain water. In West Africa, more than 800 deep wells are planned for drilling over six years.
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