Water: A Matter of Life and Death
United Nations Department of Public Information, 2002
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About the factsheet
There are more than one billion people who lack access to a steady supply of clean water. There are 2.4 billion people — more than a third of the world’s population — who do not have access to proper sanitation. The results are devastating:
- More than 2.2 million people, mostly in developing countries, die each year from diseases associated with poor water and sanitary conditions.
- 6,000 children die every day from diseases that can be prevented by improved water and sanitation.
- Over 250 million people suffer from such diseases every year.
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