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Water and hygiene

Every year, 2.2 million people die as a result of unhygienic conditions and a lack of sanitation.

Water-related and often deadly diseases include diarrhea, cholera, hepatitis A, parasites and worms. Particularly vulnerable are sick or malnourished people, those with a weak immune system (especially children and pregnant women), and people without access to proper healthcare. Each day, 3,600 children under the age of five die from diarrhea worldwide. This makes diarrhea the second most common cause of death among children in this age group. If the health situation of these people is to improve, focus needs to be given to preventing the transmission of dangerous bacteria especially from human feces to humans.

Health projects organized by action medeor integrate water, sanitation and hygiene (also known as WASH) activities. As primary prevention measures they are an intrinsic part of the healthcare provided. In particular, action medeor helps people with alternative ways to collect, store and treat water. This eliminates potential diseases at the root and leaves people healthier and more productive. Other elementary components  to promote health focus on the construction of toilets and hand pumps for hand washing, but also on educating locals in household and personal hygiene. Since 2011 action medeor has been actively engaged in the WASH Network , sharing the vision that everyone in the world has access to sustainable and safe water and sanitation, and independently practices all the elementary principles of hygiene.