Clean Water

Water and sanitation have a critical impact on both health and disease throughout the world. In developing countries like Haiti up to 90% of diarrheal illness, a leading cause of death can be attributed to unsafe water and poor sanitation.

Poor water quality continues to pose a major threat to human health. Twenty-nine percent of Haiti´s total population – 2.3 million people – does not have access to potable water. Even when a public water system is available, many have to travel long distances to collect water and it still has to be purified prior to drinking. In addition, potable water is not free. For the 80% of Haitians who live in abject poverty, the cost of clean drinking water can be a significant challenge.

ICC health workers know that education about the importance of drinking clean water is vital. In rural areas, where public water is not available, International Child Care digs wells to provide potable water for entire communities.

Sanitation in Haiti

Inadequate sanitation facilities contribute to the spread of disease in Haiti. Only 34% of Haitians use satisfactory sanitation facilities. The building of latrines, which significantly improves sanitation, helps fight the spread of disease. International Child Care partners with communities, specifically in northern Haiti, to construct latrines for individual families. The local community is responsible to provide materials such as sand, gravel, and blocks, while ICC provides the blue prints and supplies such as cement, tin for the roof, and PVC pipe. International Child Care pays local laborers to construct the latrines under the supervision of an ICC employee.