Anne Milton met representatives from Water Aid during Conservative Party Conference in Manchester to discuss the international water and sanitation crisis that is affecting the lives of the world’s poorest people. According to recent statistics about 4,000 people, mostly children die daily from preventable diseases like diarrhoea, for which lack of access to safe water and sanitation is a major contributor.
Water Aid was founded 30 years ago and works in 26 countries across the world to improve access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation. Since it was founded, it has reached nearly 16 million people with safe water. During her time in Manchester Anne heard what Water Aid is doing to help address the international water and sanitation crisis.
Talking about the organisation Anne Milton, Member of Parliament for Guildford, said: "I was particularly inspired to learn from Water Aid that every one pound invested in water and sanitation generates an economic return of eight pounds. Poor sanitation costs Sub-Saharan Africa around 5% of its GDP every year, equivalent to the amount of aid the continent currently receives from western nations. If we solved this crisis, it would be a major spur to growth in African economies, making investment in water, sanitation and hygiene a good value investment that works for the world’s poorest people."