Result
During the decade, global coverage rose from 77 % cent to 82 %. This means that nearly 1 billion more people gained access to improved drinking water sources* during the 1990s.
Issue
In 1990, the challenge of ensuring universal access to safe drinking water by 2000 meant reaching 1.2 billion people, or 23 % of the world’s population, with clean, sustainable water supplies. This challenge remained despite the gains made during the International
Problems for the Children
Children throughout the world suffer greatly because they don't have access to safe water and sanitation. Their health, education and family relationships are affected.
In many countries children, particularly girls, are responsible for the collection of water. Girls as young as 10 years old may take the main responsibility for drawing and carrying the family's water.
The size of the water container may vary with the size of the child, but each litre of water carried weighs 1kg and may need to be carried up to three or four miles.
Carrying such heavy weights is damaging in the long term for adult women, and for girls there are even more serious implications given their physical immaturity.
In particular, there can be damage to the head, neck and spine. In extreme cases deformity of the spine can lead to problems in pregnancy and childbirth.
Ghana
More than nine million people don't have access to safe drinking water. Also, 80% of all diseases in Ghana are caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. This means our money we donate to wateraid depends on their lives so they can dink clean, safe water.
Population
24.3m
Water supply coverage
82%
What has WaterAid achieved?
Over 50,000 people benefit from WaterAid's work in Ghana every year.
WaterAid has developed internal fundraising in Ghana, including substantial contributions from the Standard Chartered Bank Ltd.
WaterAid has helped its partners become independent organisations, enabling them to carry out more project work in Ghana.
India
For every 1,000 children, 68 die before their fifth birthday, mainly from preventable diseases such as diarrhoea. Only 15% of the rural population has access to a toilet. In order to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people without sanitation, access will need to be provided for 21 million people every year.
Population
1170.9 million
Life expectancy
64 years
What has WaterAid achieved?
Nearly 240,000 people gained access to safe water and sanitation in 2009/10 through WaterAid supported projects.
The WaterAid project in Kalmandhai, Tiruchirapalli city was declared the country's first 100% sanitised slum in 2002.