Dynamiques des interactions : malnutritions, eau assainissement hygiène, infections

Malnutrition is a global problem in which there are factors other than a lack of food – for example infections. Drinking water, and more generally “domestic” water (including water necessary for hygiene and sanitation practices), is often a source of disease because of its
poor quality (it can contain bacteria, viruses, parasites as well as chemical agents) and its scarcity. Inadequate sanitary conditions lead to the death of 1.5 million children each year worldwide, with 88% of these deaths due to diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is often linked to insufficient quantities of water to enable a minimum of hygiene (e.g. washing hands), a situation frequently exacerbated by the absence of toilet facilities, which in turn leads to the contamination of drinking water and water ressource in general. For all these reasons, it is natural that Action contre la Faim – which positions itself as both treating and preventing malnutrition (especially through the water-sanitation-hygiene component) – examines exactly how these factors interact and draw conclusions for its work. [authors abstract]