Burden of disease from inadequate water in low- and middle-income countries 2016

As part of a broader project to assess major risk factors to health, the burden of disease resulting from exposure to water, sanitation and hygiene was assessed. Access to improved drinking water sources and to improved sanitation services are Sustainable Development Indicators for Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.In low-income countries, inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene are important risks to health.The contribution of a risk factor to a disease or a death is quantified using the population attributable fraction (PAF). The PAF is the proportional reduction in population disease or mortality that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to an alternative ideal exposure scenario. Many diseases are caused by multiple risk factors, and individual risk factors may interact in their impact on overall risk of disease. As a result, PAFs for individual risk factors often overlap and add up to more than 100 percent.