Two-thirds of the people in the developing countries have neither a safe supply of water nor suitable facilities for the disposal of their excreta. Recommendations exist to subdue by 1990 diseases transmitted by the faecal-oral route, but the necessary technology is confronted by financial, social and cultural constraints. Water supplies and sanitation in urban and rural areas are reviewed, the use of known technology is advocated, the potential for improvement is outlined and three recommendations conclude this apprehensive account.
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