Area of intervention
Water, sanitation and hygiene
2
billion people worldwide without access to drinking water
2,3
billion people without basic facilities for washing hands with soap and water
1 in 3
children exposed to severe water shortages worldwide
What is
water, sanitation and hygiene ?
Water is a major public health issue. Improving basic sanitary and environmental conditions is essential to protect human life and health.
Drinking water is water that can be consumed or drunk without risk to health. Drinking water is defined as water used for domestic purposes: drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. Drinking water is considered safe when it meets certain microbiological and chemical standards for drinking water quality (WHO).
Sanitation is the set of actions implemented to preserve or improve environmental health levels and thus improve quality of life. This includes the sanitary management of wastewater, organic waste such as excrement and food waste, solid waste and the promotion of hygienic behavior that reduces health risks and prevents contamination.
Hygiene promotion is a generic term used to designate the various strategies aimed at improving the hygiene practices of a group of people in order to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. By erecting a series of barriers against infection, hygiene practices have an essential influence on the transmission of water and sanitation-related diseases.
Premiere Urgence Internationale objectives
- Ensure survival by rapidly improving the living conditions of crisis-affected populations by restoring access to water and basic sanitary and environmental conditions,
- Contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality rates through access to adequate water supply and sanitation structures through community involvement and mobilization,
- Contribute to the health and well-being of populations by strengthening governance in terms of drinking water services, basic sanitation and environmental protection,
- Contribute to improving the population’s emergency prevention and post-shock/crisis resilience capacities.
In the field, Première Urgence Internationale mobilizes its teams to :
- Provide sufficient water for drinking, cooking, personal and domestic hygiene,
- Protect all water sources from pollution
- Ensure that people in crisis situations can store drinking water safely,
- Provide facilities for the crisis-affected population to defecate safely and healthily,
- Raising awareness of possible diseases and their prevention,
- Provide inputs for implementing good hygiene practices
Installation of a hand-washing water point at a school in Dala, Yangon region, Myanmar ©Première Urgence Internationale
Access to drinking water worldwide ©Première Urgence Internationale
©Frédéric Noy
©Première Urgence Internationale
Women on their way to a remote water point ©Première Urgence Internationale