Population Level. The health consequences of poor water, sanitation and hygiene can be felt by all: men and women, young and old. Diarrheal illnesses are the most common of the diseases caused by poor WASH, and globally account for upwards of two million deaths annually (WHO 2008). Diarrheal illnesses are extremely common in Ethiopia. The majority of deaths occur in children under-five, and diarrhea is the third most common cause of death for this demographic in Ethiopia (WHO 2006). In a 2006 study in Ethiopia, Xxxxxx et al. (2003) found that over 30% of the children of mothers interviewed had a diarrheal illness in the two week preceding the study. However, there are many more diseases resulting from poor WASH. The WHO (2008) estimates that one-tenth of the global disease burden is caused from a lack of safe water and poor sanitation and hygiene. The following figure depicts the proportion of other diseases caused by poor WASH. Figure 6. Diseases resulting from poor water, sanitation and hygiene (from Xxxxx-Xxxxx et al. 2008) Comprising a large portion of this graph is malnutrition and the consequences of malnutrition. Diarrhea has been shown to be a leading cause of malnutrition, especially among children (WHO 2011). Diarrheal infections cause malnutrition in a number of ways, mainly through a reduction in dietary intake and the intestines ability to absorb nutrients, along with increased catabolism and secretion of nutrients (Brown 2003), Further exacerbating the problem, there is a cycle of diarrhea and malnutrition, where diarrhea can cause malnutrition, and malnutrition may cause diarrhea, especially among children under 5 (Xxxxxxxx 1992). Whereas these diseases, mostly diarrheal illnesses and malnutrition, affect everyone, there are certain diseases resulting from poor WASH that disproportionately affect women and girls, including HIV/AIDS and stress. Poor WASH puts women and girls at an increased risk for HIV/AIDS in at least two ways, the first of which is the risk of rape or sexual assault while collecting water. Women and girls who must travel to collect the family’s water supply may fall victim to attack from men who are aware the women and girls must travel through the area, putting the water-collectors at risk of infection. In the Population Council (2004) study in the Amhara Region, 56.2% of girls were often scared of being raped within their neighborhood (33.2% of boys reported the same concern). This sentiment is echoed by a 12 year-old girl who participate...
