World Water Week draws attention to the essential role water plays in global health. Safe water supports hygiene, disease prevention and ongoing care. When people cannot access the water and sanitation services they need, protecting their health becomes much more difficult.
This week is also an opportunity to consider how water connects to broader health challenges, particularly for people and communities affected by neglected tropical diseases.
How are water and global health connected?
According to the World Health Organization, one in four people worldwide, approximately 2.1 billion people, still lack access to safely managed drinking water. Another 1.7 billion people lack basic hygiene services.
These gaps affect far more than a person’s ability to access drinking water. Water is also needed to prepare food, wash hands and clothes, clean wounds and maintain personal hygiene. It supports many of the everyday practices that help prevent illness and allow people to care for their health.
Water, sanitation and hygiene are often grouped together under the term WASH. The World Health Organization recognizes WASH as an important part of preventing, managing and caring for neglected tropical diseases.
What is the connection between water and NTDs?
Neglected tropical diseases, also known as NTDs, are a diverse group of conditions that affect more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. They are most common in communities experiencing poverty and limited access to healthcare and other essential services.
The relationship between water and NTDs is different for each disease. In some cases, unsafe water or inadequate sanitation can create conditions in which infections spread. Water can also be essential to caring for people who are already living with the effects of disease.
For example, people affected by leprosy or lymphatic filariasis may experience wounds, swelling or reduced sensation. Clean water is needed to wash affected areas and practice daily self-care. These routines can help keep wounds clean, support healing and reduce the risk of secondary infections or further complications.
Why is access to water only part of the solution?
Access to water is important, but people also need the knowledge, supplies and health services required to use it safely and effectively.
Someone living with reduced sensation may not notice a small cut or burn before it becomes more serious. Self-care education can help that person understand how to check their skin, clean a wound and recognize when medical attention is needed.
Community health education can also help people identify the signs of NTDs, understand that treatment is available and seek care earlier. This is particularly important because many NTDs remain poorly understood and can carry significant stigma.
Fear and misinformation may cause people to hide symptoms or delay treatment. In some cases, symptoms may also be mistaken for another condition. Greater awareness can challenge misconceptions and help families and communities respond with understanding rather than blame.
How does community awareness lead to better care?
Health information is most useful when it reflects the realities of the people receiving it.
Local health workers, community leaders and peer-support groups understand the languages, experiences and barriers that influence health decisions in their communities. They can explain health information in relevant and accessible ways, identify people who may require care and connect them with available resources.
They can also listen to community members and identify why certain health guidance may be difficult to follow. This feedback helps health programs respond to practical barriers instead of assuming that information alone will change behavior.
When communities are included in health decisions, education becomes a two-way conversation. People receive information that can help them protect their health while contributing their own knowledge and experiences to the solutions being developed.
Bringing water, education and care together
Improving health outcomes requires these different elements to work together.
Water supports hygiene and self-care. Education helps people understand how to protect their health and when to seek treatment. Appropriate supplies make daily care possible, while trained health workers provide diagnosis, treatment and continued support.
Effect Hope works alongside local partners to strengthen these connections for people affected by NTDs. This includes supporting community awareness, health-worker training, earlier diagnosis, treatment and self-care education.
Through research and learning, Effect Hope and our partners also seek to understand the barriers preventing people from receiving care. This knowledge helps programs and health systems respond more effectively to local needs.
For people affected by diseases such as leprosy and lymphatic filariasis, practical resources are another important part of care. Self-care supplies, including locally sourced bandages, gauze, oil, soap and pumice stones, can help people care for wounds, prevent complications and manage the effects of disease. Together with education and continued support, these resources help turn health information into daily action.
Building healthier communities
World Water Week reminds us that the relationship between water and global health is about more than drinking water alone. Water also supports hygiene, wound care, disease management and personal dignity.
Its health benefits are strongest when people also have access to reliable information, practical supplies, trained health workers and responsive local health systems.
By bringing these elements together, communities are better equipped to recognize disease, prevent complications and help people receive the care they need.
Learn more about Effect Hope’s work with communities affected by neglected tropical diseases.
