Peru

Oil drilling in Peru’s Amazon region was poisoning the waterways that many indigenous communities use as their source of drinking water, sickening families and killing children. Water engineering specialist INCLAM Group joined forces with MSH-Peru and the Peruvian government to build and install purification systems in areas affected by oil spills. The custom-made systems, which use local and easy-to-source materials, provide safe water and sanitation to more than 20,000 people, including 3,000 children under five. The prevalence of acute diarrheal diseases in children decreased from 64% to 24% from 2014 to 2017. MSH-Peru coached residents on safe collection, storage, and use of clean water; handwashing; and proper human waste disposal for health promotion and disease prevention. This private-public partnership offers a replicable model that can save lives around the world.