Public water supply and access to improved water sources: fact sheet No. 1.2, May 2007
Loading...
Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe
Abstract
Description
4 p.
Access to safe drinking-water is strongly connected to basic health benefits. Hence, from the public health point of view, the proportion of the population with access to safe drinking-water is an indicator that measures the extent to which basic needs (as defined by the United Nations in recognition of water as a fundamental human right) are met. Outbreaks of disease related to contaminated drinking-water continue to occur even in the economically developed European countries. They can severely affect human health, with infants and young children bearing the highest risk. There is a clear east–west divide as regards access to drinking-water. In western Europe, close to 100% of the population have had access to safe drinking-water since the 1990s. In the eastern part of the Region access remains low, albeit rising, ranging from 58% to 80%. According to the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund Joint Monitoring Programme assessment, there are important disparities between urban and rural areas: in the east only 30–40% of rural households have access to individual sources of safe drinking-water. The data presented in this document mainly reflect the proportion of the population supplied from a public system controlled regularly for quality criteria compliance, and only to a lesser extent the safety and adequacy of drinking-water available to the population.
Access to safe drinking-water is strongly connected to basic health benefits. Hence, from the public health point of view, the proportion of the population with access to safe drinking-water is an indicator that measures the extent to which basic needs (as defined by the United Nations in recognition of water as a fundamental human right) are met. Outbreaks of disease related to contaminated drinking-water continue to occur even in the economically developed European countries. They can severely affect human health, with infants and young children bearing the highest risk. There is a clear east–west divide as regards access to drinking-water. In western Europe, close to 100% of the population have had access to safe drinking-water since the 1990s. In the eastern part of the Region access remains low, albeit rising, ranging from 58% to 80%. According to the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund Joint Monitoring Programme assessment, there are important disparities between urban and rural areas: in the east only 30–40% of rural households have access to individual sources of safe drinking-water. The data presented in this document mainly reflect the proportion of the population supplied from a public system controlled regularly for quality criteria compliance, and only to a lesser extent the safety and adequacy of drinking-water available to the population.