Can we 'WaSH' infectious diseases out of slums?

The world is becoming increasingly urban and most of this growth is taking place in urban slums of the developing world (Prasad et al., 2016; Turley et al., 2013). The current (2019) global population stands at 7.7 billion with approximately one billion (13%) living in urban slums. By 2030 the world's population is projected to grow to 8.5 billion with estimated 2 billion (24%) living in slums. In Dhaka 40% of the population presently live in slum conditions (Ross et al., 2019). Slums are typically overcrowded, with most residents sharing a single room with 4-5 family members. There is usually no formal sewage or waste disposal system (Prasad et al., 2016; Turley et al., 2013). Open sewage, with antimicrobial resistant organisms, typically flows just outside the door which during the rainy season enters the home and contaminates the household drinking source (Ross et al., 2019; Naylor et al., 2015). Hygiene is difficult if not impossible to maintain hence the significant burden of infectious diseases especially those with a fecal-oral mode of transmission (Ross et al., 2019). Transmission is year round and the leading enteric pathogens are: rotavirus, Cryptosporidium, Shigella, Campylobacter, Salmonella typhi and Vibro cholera (Naylor et al., 2015). Water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) will be crucial components of a future integrated control strategy for infectious diseases in slums. Can we 'WaSH' infectious diseases out of slums?