Progress in drinking water supply and disease control

According to UNICEF, between 2015 and 2024, around 961 million people gained access to “safely managed drinking water” – that means water that is easily accessible when needed and free from contamination. As a result, the global supply rate in this highest category rose from 68% to 74%. 

What does it take to supply as many people as possible with safe drinking water? Three GIZ and KfW authors have argued in D+C that a holistic approach is needed for sustainable water management.

Disease control

This year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared four countries – Senegal, Fiji, India and Burundi – free of trachoma. They thus join a growing list: There are currently 26 countries where trachoma no longer occurs. The bacterial eye infection, classified by the WHO as a neglected tropical disease, is primarily transmitted through personal contact, contaminated surfaces and flies. 

Water shortages, poor hygiene and inadequate healthcare are the main risk factors for the disease, which remains one of the most common causes of preventable blindness worldwide. Progress in combating trachoma has been achieved primarily through public education, eye surgery and the distribution of antibiotics. While fighting neglected tropical diseases is crucial, they are often overshadowed by the “Big Three”: HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. 

We regularly update you on more positive developments in our Good News section.

The D+C editorial team
euz.editor@dandc.eu