Clean water for health and wellbeing
Access to reliable drinking water and sanitation services are basic human rights, but they have become more of a privilege than a right for many. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) initiative includes SDG 6 to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” but the progress in achieving this goal has been limited.
SDG 6 establishes a focus on sustainable management of water resources and the importance of an enabling environment in which risks are minimised and positive change can occur, but improvements have not been consistent globally. According to the UN-Water SDG 6 Data Portal, here is the progress made in 2021 towards the achieving the goal:
- 74% of the world’s population uses a safely managed drinking water service
- 54% of the world’s population uses a safely managed sanitation service
- 71% of the world’s population has a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home
- 55% of the world’s domestic wastewater is safely treated
- 60% of the world’s monitored water bodies have good ambient water quality
- 19% of the world’s renewable water resources are being withdrawn
A 2021 report published by Economist Impact, “Water Stress in Jordan”, details social and economic costs of water stress and scarcity. The report found that access to safe and reliable water impacts more than just personal consumption of water. The report explained that water stress has the potential to complicate regional cooperation among actors, exacerbate migration pressures, contribute to a higher infant mortality rate, and negatively impact manufacturing and agriculture.
Effects on health
The lack of access to clean water and sanitation services has a direct impact on people’s health. Contaminated water is linked to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, polio and other neglected tropical diseases. This absence of clean water contributes to the existing cycle of poverty and disease; lower-income individuals can’t escape the cycle as they face costly health complications.
“Inadequate water services could undermine educational attainment by Jordanian youth—particularly girls. Water-related illnesses that arise when children do not have access to water at home can stunt growth and decrease capacity for learning” (UNICEF Jordan and Economist Impact, 2022).
Effects on schooling
According to the 2021 report by Economist Impact, lack of access to clean water and sanitation services go beyond health; without proper water infrastructure, schooling is also affected. This lack of access impacts academic performance and attendance rates; students may suffer from the effects of disease such as stomach pains and diarrhoea—limiting their attendance at school. Additionally, students may miss school to care for their sick family members, or even to find sources of clean water.
It is noted that children around the world collectively spend 200 million hours each day collecting water, taking valuable time away from school.
When access to water is limited, children are often given the responsibility to collect water for their family, which contributes to time away from school. Impacts on education do not end here; the cycle continues as school progresses into a college education and a career. Time spent away from school impedes children’s long-term educational achievements and earning potential.
Impact on health infrastructure
Without appropriate water and sanitation infrastructure, health systems are vulnerable. Inadequate water and sanitation systems in hospitals pose threats of increased disease risks for patients, healthcare workers and communities.
According to the CDC, more than 2 billion people lack access to “safely managed drinking water” (CDC 2022), while half of health care facilities globally lack basic hygiene services, according to the WHO.
The risks posed from not having proper water and sanitation systems in hospitals go beyond diarrhoeal disease; any infection that can live on skin or get in open cuts can introduce sepsis. Breaking this transmission requires implementing vigorous hand washing measures, which are not always possible given water shortages.
Water shortages hamper health services, given their intermittent and unpredictable nature. They also hinder meeting sanitary regulations in hospitals. In the case of specialised and/or acute care, there is a greater need for advanced infection and prevention control (IPC) practices.
Progress towards SDG 6 has plateaued due to a number of logistical, technical and research constraints. It is imperative to make headway on ensuring access to clean and reliable water and sanitation services, as the health of populations is threatened by transmission of diseases that are otherwise preventable. According to the UN Synthesis Report on the progress of achieving SDG 6, “leaving no one behind will require attention on disadvantaged groups and efforts to monitor elimination of inequalities in drinking water services.” Prioritising the achievement of SDG 6 is crucial; access to reliable drinking water and sanitation services should be treated as the human rights they are, not luxuries that only a select few can afford.
