Water and sanitation programme
The safety and accessibility of drinking-water are major concerns throughout the world. Health risks may arise from consumption of water contaminated with infectious agents, toxic chemicals, and radiological hazards.
Improving access to safe drinking-water can result in tangible improvements to health. AHO vows to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Solid Waste Management and Wastewater and Excreta are also important to water purity and human health, impacting the prevalence of water borne diseases like Cholera. Food safety is also impacted by water and hygiene related practices. In Africa 63% have access to improved drinking water sources and 50% have access to improved sanitation. However, these statistics do not reflect the quality of water or the disparities in gender, income, and race which affect access to water sources and sanitation.