Water Mission Joins Fight Against Global Spread of COVID-19

Water Mission Joins Fight Against Global Spread of COVID-19  
Emergency resources available for developing countries with vulnerable healthcare systems 

Charleston, SC – March 16, 2020– In response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Water Mission, a nonprofit Christian engineering organization, is bringing urgently needed safe water and hygiene solutions to under-resourced communities in developing nations. Water Mission is meeting emergency-related water and disinfection needs for hospitals and clinics while also equipping communities with critical information and training related to healthy hygiene practices to aid in COVID-19 prevention efforts. Additionally, the organization is stocking water treatment equipment and chlorine supplies at its headquarters and in country program offices around the world. 

 “Water Mission has extensive experience and expertise in implementing immediate and long-term safe water solutions following crisis situations, including infectious disease outbreaks. As we continue to see the global impact of COVID-19 unfold, we believe that Water Mission is uniquely positioned to help alleviate the growing threat,” said Water Mission President and Chief Operating Officer George C. Greene IV, PE. “In the United States, citizens can practice everyday prevention measures, like frequent hand washing and disinfection. But in developing countries, a lack of safe water can make this difficult if not impossible.”    

According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, 2.1 billion people lack access to safe, readily available water at home and one in four healthcare facilities lack basic water services. With the growing COVID-19 pandemic, there is significant potential for hospitals in developing countries to become overrun and for complications from lack of the availability of safe water to arise.   

“Based on how the COVID-19 situation is evolving, it seems the outbreak is likely to worsen in developing countries,” said Greene. “In response, Water Mission has created a hygiene training curriculum for COVID-19 to accompany safe water interventions currently underway. We are also  

in contact with health officials where our country programs are located in Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Peru, Tanzania, and Uganda about emergency-related needs.”  

In recent years, Water Mission has provided water treatment systems to hospitals and clinics in developing countries that were in need of safe water solutions as a result of Ebola and cholera outbreaks.     

For more information on how to support Water Mission’s efforts to alleviate the growing threat from COVID-19 through the availability of safe water and hygiene training, visit watermission.org/covid19. 

About Water Mission: 

Water Mission is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization that designs, builds, and implements safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has used innovative technology and engineering expertise to provide access to safe water for more than five million people in 56 countries. Water Mission has 350 staff members working around the world in permanent country programs located in Africa, Asia, North, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. Notably, Charity Navigator has awarded Water Mission its top four-star rating 13 years in a row, a distinction shared by less than one percent of the charities rated by the organization. To learn more about the Charleston Walk for Water and other walks happening around the country, visit https://watermission.org/get-involved/walk-for-water/