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SummaryThe combination of unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation facilities constitutes one of the major causes of death and disability among the poor in developing countries. Safe, convenient water supply and adequate sanitation is a fundamental component of broad-based economic growth strategies. Lowering mortality and morbidity from water and sanitation-related diseases is a goal in itself; it can also lead to increased productivity and decreased absenteeism among members of the labor force and can reduce the time and energy burden on the household, leading to more time for crop cultivation, child care, and income-generating activities, as well as more regular school attendance. The availability of a minimum of 20-40 liters of relatively safe water per person per day is essential to achieve sustained health improvements in developing countries. Where this minimum is not readily available and where inadequate domestic water and sanitation creates significant health problems, USAID will consider funding projects for-improvements in water and sanitation. The following criteria will guide USAID's investment in the area:
Where these conditions are met, USAID will consider funding water and sanitation programs to improve health in rural areas as well as market towns, secondary cities, squatter settlements, and urban centers. Development Assistance funding for these programs is available from Section 104, the Health and Population Account and when part of rural development activities, from Section 103, the Agriculture, Rural Development and Nutrition Account; in addition, Economic Support Funds and the Housing Guarantee Program can support domestic water and sanitation projects, principally in urban areas. As noted above, USAID will not support water supply and sanitation programs whose operation and maintenance costs cannot be financed over the long-term by some combination of consumers, the local community, and the regional and central government. Where possible, consumers themselves should bear primary responsibility for covering all costs, since it is under these conditions that the systems are most likely to remain in operation over the long-term. USAID will give particular attention to identifying and promoting opportunities for private sector involvement in the construction, operation, and maintenance of water and sanitation systems and in the manufacture of related equipment. Among the factors that will guide the design of USAID-supported domestic water and sanitation projects designed to improve health are the following:
In addition, USAID encourages attention to other factors which may have implications for domestic water supply and sanitation, including: the strength of existing institutions that govern the allocation of water resources; opportunities to incorporate water supply and sanitation activities into primary health care, agriculture (irrigation) and other programs; and the implications of rapid urbanization for existing water supply.
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