10% of the global disease burden could be prevented by eliminating waterborne diseases.

(Source: WHO)

According to the World Health Organization, almost 1/10th of the global disease burden could be prevented by eliminating waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera, E. coli, giardia, dysentery, and intestinal worms through improving water supply, sanitation, hygiene and management of water resources. Waterborne diseases have a direct impact on children with diarrhea being the 3rd leading cause of mortality for children under age 5, and its health impacts are linked to child nutrition and development. Timmy Global Health’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program improves access to clean water, basic sanitation, and adequate hygiene in rural communities. 

Timmy’s goal to improve health by reducing waterborne diseases is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: clean water and sanitation.

We do this by focusing on the needs of the rural communities where we work and tailoring our WASH program to address the root causes of waterborne diseases through prevention to reduce the need for medical treatment.

WASH focuses on clean water supply, sanitation infrastructure, hand washing, and education in community households, schools, and local healthcare facilities. We work with local partners and communities to apply appropriate technologies and behavior change strategies to improve the overall health of the community.

Through this work, we have seen measurably improved health outcomes in our partner communities and work to continually improve our model.