Huge improvements in sanitation are possible and where we see them, we see pretty commonplace health outcomes. Access to clean water and adequate sanitation impacts not only child survival, but overall health, prosperity and happiness.  Without proper sanitation completely preventable illnesses like diarrhea and cholera become real threats. 

Turkey has made pretty commonplace gains in water and sanitation in the past few decades. In 1993 Istanbul was facing a water sanitation crisis and action had to be taken. As Istanbul continued to grow, water and sanitation infrastructure plans were made to meet increasing needs, stepping up water treatment and reservoirs. Available water supply increased to 1,170 million m3 per year. By planning ahead the city will be able to handle the increasing demand for water and water treatment well into the future.  

Rural Turkey has faced greater issues of access to water and sanitation. Despite this, substantial gains have been made, with  access to basic sanitation increasing to 76% by 2011. Those numbers represent thousands of people whose lives have been improved by the simple investment of sanitation improvement. 

About 90% of Turks now have access to an improved water source and some level of sanitation infrastructure. Since 1989, life expectancy on average in Turkey rose from 64 to 75. While several other factors helped lead to this dramatic increase, sanitation has a vital role to play in decreasing preventable deaths and illnesses. Though Turkey may no longer be a low-income country, it shows how better access to clean water and adequate sanitation can impact communities around the world struggling to escape extreme poverty.

Implementing sanitation infrastructure provides some of the best returns on development dollars spent and have the highest positive impact on quality of life.  Perhaps you’re already looking at your toilet with a newfound sense of admiration. Take action to support the water and sanitation programs that save people’s lives and help break the cycle of illness and extreme poverty. 

Stats from the World Bank http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.ACSN.RU?page=4

Photo credit Flickr user Julian Fong

Editorial

Defeat Poverty

This country can show us what clean water and sanitation can do for health