The health consequences of inadequate water and sanitation services include an estimated 4 billion cases of diarrhea and1.9 million deaths each year, mostly among young children in developing countries. Diarrheal diseases lead to decreasedfood intake and nutrient absorption, malnutrition, reduced resistance to infection, and impaired physical growth andcognitive development. Since 1996, a large body of work has been published that has examined the health impact ofinterventions to improve water quality at the point-of-use through household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS).Four interventions – chlorination, solar disinfection, ceramic filtration, and PuR – have been proven to reduce diarrhea inusers in developing countries and are discussed below.

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection