UNICEF: Water-related diseases kill 1,000 children every day

In recognition of ‘World Water Day,’ UNICEF has highlighted that daily, more than 1,000 children under the age of five perish as a consequence of diseases associated with insufficient access to water and sanitation, resulting in a yearly global mortality rate of 1.4 million. Extreme weather events and elevated temperatures, attributable to climate change, have been identified as primary drivers of bacterial proliferation, which contaminates water supplies and increases the risk of diseases such as cholera and typhoid, which are particularly prevalent among children. It is estimated that approximately 436 million children reside in areas classified as high or very high water vulnerability, characterised by water scarcity and inadequate access to drinking water services. According to UNICEF, as water stress intensifies, approximately 1 in 4 children worldwide will be projected to reside in areas characterised by extremely high water stress by the year 2040.