26
Jan

Rural schools and district healthcare facilities in rural areas are central to shaping the country’s demographic future as they nurture the next generation and safeguard community health, particularly among children and older populations. However, a persistent lack of access to safe water hinders their equitable health and development outcomes. Ensuring clean water access remains one of the most urgent yet solvable challenges in low- and middle-income countries. In Thailand, Lao PDR and Cambodia, seasonal floods, geographical isolation and limited infrastructure force many schools and district hospitals in rural areas to rely on contaminated water sources, giving rise to waterborne illnesses that disrupt education, reduce productivity, and strain already limited health resources. These preventable challenges not only create high health and financial burden but also amplify broader socioeconomic inequities.

Addressing this challenge requires both short- and long-term solutions. Innovative, scalable and cost-effective filtration solutions alongside community engagement can provide safe water while strengthening health equity, resilience, and sustainable development. Working in collaboration with regional health authorities, Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS), National University of Singapore (NUS) and a social enterprise Wateroam, we initiated a project to install and evaluate water filtration systems in rural schools and hospitals in Northern Thailand. Separately, NUS and Wateroam have also initiated similar projects in Lao PDR and Cambodia. Beyond infrastructure, the project emphasizes stakeholder engagement, training, and rigorous assessment of health and economic outcomes, ensuring that interventions are not only impactful but also financially and institutionally sustainable in the long run.