Over 1 billion people lack access to safe water sources. Even for those who do have access to water, unsanitary handling and storage translates into unsafe household water for drinking and food preparation. Unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene practices are responsible for the vast majority of diarrheal diseases, a leading cause of nearly 2 million deaths of children under age five annually.

Water-borne infections such as cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery also burden the public health system and can impose significant economic losses. Safe water alone can reduce diarrhea and other related diseases by up to 50%, but an estimated 62% of Pakistan’s urban population and 84% of the rural population do not treat their water.

The Safe Drinking Water Alliance applies the complementary resources of USAID, Procter & Gamble, Johns Hopkins University, Population Services International, and CARE, to market and test PuR - a new water purification technology shown to reduce the incidence of diarrhea by up to 50%. The alliance is an example of USAID engaging private sector experience and capabilities in support of development goals. As part of the current alliance, USAID is providing $1.4 million for testing the product in three countries including Pakistan.

Through mass media, community mobilization, and advocacy, the Safe Water Council is conducting outreach to increase knowledge and practices about safe water treatment and storage technologies. A single packet of PuR crystals purifies ten liters of water by removing contaminantsin the water at a cost of one cent per liter.