NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Fueled by research that hand-washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19, sales of soap have skyrocketed in recent months.

But for the one in three people around the world who do not have access to clean water, this simple step in disease prevention isn’t so simple.

Rural populations disproportionately lack effective water, sanitation and hygiene services — known collectively as WASH — due in large part to a lack of infrastructure, high costs and weak governance. Meanwhile, climate change, pollution and development are diminishing freshwater sources and ecosystems at a rapid rate, compounding the problem.

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Perkins.