Barriers to the expansion of sanitation include lack of political will, lack of demand from communities themselves, lack of knowledge on low-cost sanitation solutions and poor female representation in decision-making.
WaterAid works to dismantle each of these barriers. We implement the solutions ourselves in our fieldwork delivering sanitation, clean water and hygiene education to poor communities in 17 of the world's poorest countries.
We also advocate for others to adopt pro-poor policies that prioritize sanitation.
Our approach emphasizes building awareness of the impact poor sanitation has on health, education and livelihoods. This knowledge is crucial in building motivation amongst communities, donors and government to give sanitation the priority it so desperately needs.
Read more about WaterAid's sanitation work.
Read personal stories of people who have benefited from sanitation.
Factfile
At any one time, 1.5 billion people suffer from parasitic worm infections stemming from human excreta and solid wastes in the environment.
Children in developing countries commonly carry up to 1,000 hookworms, roundworms and whipworms at a time causing anemia, stunted growth and other debilitating conditions.
One gram of feces can contain: 10,000,000 viruses, 1,000,000 bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs.
The simple act of washing hands with soap and water after going to the toilet can reduce diarrheal diseases by over 40%.
What we do
PDF 1MB) Explores how poor sanitation may be the biggest cause of child mortality worldwide.