According to the Wold Health Organization, each year more than 20,000 people die in Vietnam each year because of a lack of clean water, poor sanitation and hygiene.
Though Vietnam's economy and government policies are continuing to impove, sanitation facilties and habits in rural villages are still a real concern.
No access to clean sanitation and hygiene causes about half of all communicable diseases in the country.
Twenty million children, or 59 percent of all children in Vietnam, do not have access to proper sanitation. About 73 percent of schools have latrines, but fewer than half meet national standards.
As a result, many rural villagers still practice open defication. Open defication leads to pollution, diseases and death-- especially when water sources that are used for drinking, cooking and cleaning become polluted.
The Vietnamese government as well as a variety of NGOs are doing their part to increase the health of the nation's children through the construction of acceptable bathroom faciltiies.
You can help Children of Vietnam in this pursit by donating to the construction of homes and schools with proper sanitation facilties!
Or, just learn more about the issue by checking out: http://www.irinnews.org/
