Globally, preterm birth (PTB) and low infant birth weight (LBW) are leading causes of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Inadequate water and sanitation access (WASH) are risk factors for PTB and LBW in low-income countries. Physical stress from carrying water and psychosocial stress from addressing sanitation needs in the open may be mechanisms underlying these associations. If so, then living in a community with strong social capital should be able to buffer the adverse effects of WASH on birth outcomes.

The UNHCR WASH Manual (4th Edition, September 2018) outlines WASH guidelines that should be met in all refugee settings to provide an adequate level of basic WASH services for refugees. The manual does not aim to be a detailed technical WASH manual, but instead aims to present..

Diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old. Handwashing with soap can reduce the risk of diarrhoeal disease by up to 48% but knowledge of its importance for disease prevention is not always reflected in practice. Oxfam, Unilever's Lifebuoy soap and Unilever's Chief Sustainability Office have developed Mum's Magic Hands, an interactive approach based on storytelling which uses field tested, emotional and health motivators to promote effective hand washing in communities affected by emergencies.

The clock is counting down to 2nd October 2019, the Government of India’s date to eradicate open defecation. It is quickly becoming clear the Government is looking at how to consolidate gains made in the past few years on sanitation and not being undone by slippages. As the mission has progressed, the sanitation coverage of rural India has increased to 94.73% and 19 states and UTS, 432 districts and 422,650 villages have been declared as open defecation-free (ODF). Still, there is need to construct as many 148 million toilets in one year (SBM MIS, 2018).