World Health Organization, WHO says, nearly two billion people currently use contaminated water. Head of WHO’s public health department,Maria Neira, said in a statement that almost two billion people use a source of drinking-water contaminated with faeces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio.
She said, contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause more than 500,000 diarrhoeal deaths each year and is a major factor in several neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma. In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted Sustainable Development Goals for eradicating poverty and boosting human wellbeing, including vowing to ensure universal access to safe and affordable water and sanitation by 2030.
According to WHO, countries will fall far short of this goal if they do not radically increase their investments.