Position Paper

Name: Ismael Valencia
Country: Japan
Topic: Providing Clean Drinking Water in Sub-Saharan Africa
Committee: World Health Organization
School: International High School
Sponsor: Ms. Bailey


Japan and Providing Clean Drinking Water in Sub-Saharan Africa

Thank you, honorable chair. The purpose of the WHO’s committee is to discuss global health issues, nutrition and environmental sanitation. Our mission is to prevent and control infectious diseases that can affect people that live in rural areas. We are here to talk about providing clean drinking water in Sub-Saharan Africa seeing that lack of clean drinking water can led to health issues and eventually death to thousands of people, also this issue is important because about 2.6 billion people lack of clean drinking water and 1.1 billion people have no access to any type of improved drinking water source. This causes about 1.6 million people to die every year of diarrhea diseases and it remains in the second leading cause of death among children. It kills more young children than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined and all because by the lack of sanitation and clean water.
The disasters last two months in Japan have underscored the critical importance of clean and potable water to our society. Millions of Japanese citizens and more than 1.8 million households have no access to clean drinking water due to high-levels of radioactive iodine from the crippled nuclear plants. Although the Japanese government said the water is safe for non-potable use, panicked residents quickly bought all available bottled water. The government is now trying to get water to households with children and organizations around the world are sending bottled water to Japan.
Solutions that Japan proposes are that there should be non-profit organizations educating communities about hygiene and sanitation practices which will reduce the spread of diseases. Also during World Water Day Conrad Hilton Foundation pledges $50 Million to Clean Water Initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa. People around the world can donate money or send bottled water to Sub-Saharan Africa. UNICEF and other organizations or corporations can help in whatever they can towards clean drinking water for people in Sub-Sahara Africa.