UNICEF – Ceramic Filters and Other Water Treatment Methods
This UNICEF report details the need for Household Water Treatment and Storage (HWTS) and presents overviews of several technologies that are currently being used.
PROMOTION OF HOUSEHOLD WATER TREATMENT AND SAFE STORAGE IN UNICEF WASH PROGRAMMES
Why is household water treatment and safe storage an important intervention for
preventing disease?Unsafe drinking water, along with poor sanitation and hygiene, are the main contributors to an estimated 4 billion cases of diarrhoeal disease annually, causing more than 1.5 million deaths, mostly among children under 5 years of age (WHO 2005). Because diarrhoeal diseases inhibit normal ingestion of foods and adsorption of nutrients, continued high morbidity also contributes to malnutrition, a separate cause of significant mortality; it also leads to impaired physical growth and cognitive function, reduced resistance to infection, and potentially long-term gastrointestinal disorders. Contaminated drinking water is also a major source of hepatitis, typhoid and opportunistic infections that attack the immuno-compromised, especially persons living with HIV/AIDS.