Water is life. People struggle to access water for drinking, cooking, bathing, handwashing, and growing their food. Without clean and easily accessible water, families and communities are locked in poverty. Women and children are the most affected — children because they’re more vulnerable to diseases caused by dirty water, and women and girls because they often bear the burden of carrying water for their families.

• The average woman in rural Africa walks 6 kilometers every day to haul 40 pounds of water. The United Nations estimates that Sub-Saharan Africa alone loses 40 billion hours per year collecting water; that’s the same as a whole year’s worth of labor by France’s entire workforce. An estimated $260 billion is lost globally each year due to lack of basic water and sanitation. Access to clean water changes everything; it’s a stepping-stone to development.
• The latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveal that: An estimated 785 million people lack access to clean water globally. An estimated 40% of the 783 million people who are without access to clean water globally, live in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 66% of the people live in areas with little to no rainfall. According to CDP, the current global water available for human use will reduce by 40% in 2030. For many regions especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, Industries and Businesses that rely heavily on water will fold up by 2030 if action is not taken.  
• Every day, more than 800 children under 5 years die from diarrhea caused by contaminated water, poor sanitation, and unsafe hygiene practices. Nearly 1 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases which could be reduced with access to safe water. Every 2 minutes a child dies from a water-related disease in our planet. Water related diseases are responsible for 80% of illnesses and deaths in developing countries according to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
• In Ghana, an estimated 3600 children die annually from water and sanitation related diseases.
• Global average spending on Health from 2000 to 2018 is $461 billion. An average of $368 billion is spent on water related healthcare annually within the period 2000-2018.
• According to the World Health Organization, every $1 invested in water and sanitation generates an economic return of between $3 and $34. Achieving global access to basic water and sanitation would bring an estimated $18.5 billion in economic benefits each year from avoided deaths alone.
• An estimated $114 billion is needed annually until 2030 to end the global water crisis captured under SDG Goal Number Six. However, in 2020, the total Official Development Assistance (ODA) hovers around $13 billion for water and sanitation.