Behaviour change and water quality

While access to drinking water in India has increased over the past decade, the tremendous adverse impact of unsafe water on health continues. Twenty one percent of communicable diseases in India are estimated to be water related. The highest mortality from diarrhoea is in children under the age of five, and there is an urgent need for focused interventions to prevent diarrhoeal disease in this age group. Despite investments in water and sanitation infrastructure, many low-income communities in India and other developing countries continue to lack access to safe drinking water, proper sanitation and sewerage systems, garbage collection networks, and information and education on healthy hygiene and sanitation practices. Currently available strategies and technologies to make water safe to drink are unaffordable and inaccessible to most low-income households, particularly those without a regular piped water supply.