< Previous ActionTake Next Action >

How many times did you go to the bathroom today? Or drink a glass of water? Imagine if you had no safe place to defecate and the water you drank made you sick.

This is the reality for 2.3 billion people who do not have access to adequate sanitation, and 650 million people who do not have access to safe, clean water.

This has far reaching long lasting impacts on health, education, gender equality, the environment and the economy.

That’s why we need to focus on achieving Global Goal #6: Clean Water and Sanitation.

The situation in the Pacific is critical. In Papua New Guinea, it’s estimated that 4.5 million people live without safe water - 60% of the total population –  and 800 children die each year from diarrhoea. Similarly, in the Solomon Islands only 13% of households have access to basic sanitation.

Australia has an important role to play as a leader in the Asia Pacific region by committing to investing in water and sanitation projects. However, due to reductions to our overseas aid program over multiple budgets, available funding for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects has disappointingly been reduced.

We want to see Prime Minister Turnbull show leadership and commit to reaching 50 million people with access to clean water and improved sanitation by 2030.