Access to clean water helps unleash the potential of children by improving their health and their ability to go to school and stay there. Safe sanitation at home and in public institutions like schools and health facilities ensures privacy, dignity and safety, especially for girls and women.
Hygienic practices — like hand washing with soap before eating, before preparing food, and after defecation — can significantly reduce the incidence of diarrhea, in some cases by almost 50 per cent.
Safe drinking water and sanitation is recognized as a basic human right, yet billions live without it.
How do we provide water,
sanitation and hygiene?
Plan International Canada works with communities to improve access to safe drinking water and toilets and promote good hygiene behaviours such as hand washing and proper handling and disposal of waste and menstrual hygiene management. We support WASH activities in communities, health facilities and schools. Training of local people in basic operation and maintenance skills is also important for ensuring developed water sources and sanitation facilities provide long-lasting service.
Water
Suitable technical options for safe water provision depend greatly on the context. These can include wells with handpumps, protected springs, rainwater harvesting, and connecting to existing piped networks, among others.
Sanitation
Households are supported to build latrines to create clean and healthy community conditions. The presence of toilet blocks at schools and health facilities contributes to more comfortable and safer environment for students and teachers, patients and health workers.
Hygiene education
The health benefits of water and sanitation facilities are amplified when combined with hygiene education activities. These include safe water collection and storage methods, handwashing with soap at critical times, and menstrual hygiene.A key aspect of menstrual hygiene education is to work with communities, including boys and men to address stigma attached to menstruation.
Ways you can support our Wash Work