Hi everyone,
Today I want to talk about an issue that has stayed with me for as long as I can remember: water contamination. It’s a topic that feels deeply relevant to this blog, not only because water is fundamental to health and hygiene, but because it directly impacts menstrual care.
Coming from a Filipino background - with my mum from a small city on the island of Leyte in the central Philippines - this issue has always felt close to home. Through my studies, travels, and career so far, I’ve repeatedly encountered the same concerning reality: millions of people still lack access to safe, clean water.
How Does Water Quality Compare Globally?
According to World Population Review (2022), countries like Australia, Iceland, and Canada rank very highly for safe drinking water. Water quality is measured using the DALY rate (disability-adjusted life years lost per 100,000 people due to unsafe drinking water).
To put this into perspective:
- Australia scores extremely low on this scale, meaning very few years of healthy life are lost due to unsafe water.
- The Philippines has a DALY score of 40.4, meaning that for every 100,000 people, around 40 years of healthy life are lost each year due to illnesses linked to unsafe water - such as diarrhoeal disease, infections, and long-term health complications.
- Indonesia sits at 31.0.
- The ten lowest-ranked countries globally are all located in Africa.
These numbers highlight just how unequal access to safe water remains.
Why Is Water Quality So Poor in Parts of Southeast Asia?
Water contamination in Southeast Asia is caused by a combination of environmental, industrial, and infrastructure-related factors, including:
-
Heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead, and chromium
These can come from unregulated mining, industrial waste, and even occur naturally in groundwater. - Untreated sewage and microbial contamination, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
- Agricultural runoff, which introduces pesticides, fertilisers, and animal waste into waterways.
Surface water - like rivers, lakes, and streams - is especially vulnerable. A United Nations Environment Programme study in 2011 found that 80% of river water in the Asia-Pacific region is polluted, and around 80% of wastewater in Asia is discharged untreated (ADB 2011).
Infrastructure Gaps and Geography
Another major issue is infrastructure. Southeast Asia is home to around 60% of the world’s population, and many countries are struggling to keep up with rapid population growth.
Countries like Indonesia and the Philippines are archipelagic, meaning they are made up of thousands of islands. Water infrastructure investment often prioritises major cities, leaving rural communities and smaller islands with limited or unsafe water access. This creates stark inequalities - even within the same country (Hitachi 2024).
What Does This Mean for Health - and Menstrual Care?
Unsafe water doesn’t just cause stomach illnesses. It can expose people to harmful bacteria and pathogens that affect intimate and reproductive health.
For menstruating people, this matters enormously.
Poor water quality can increase the risk of:
- Vaginal infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Disruptions to the natural vaginal microbiome
This brings me to menstrual cups.
The Connection to Menstrual Cups
When I started this business, one of my original goals was to provide menstrual cups to communities where people lack access to disposable menstrual products. Menstrual cups can be a sustainable, cost-effective solution - but only when clean water is available (Harrison & Tyson 2022).
Menstrual cups rely on proper hygiene:
- They must be washed regularly with clean water
- They need to be sterilised between cycles
- Safe use depends on the user’s ability to clean and dry the cup properly
Without access to clean water, using a menstrual cup safely becomes much more challenging. This is why menstrual health solutions cannot be separated from water and sanitation access.
Why This Matters
Menstrual equity isn’t just about products. It’s about infrastructure, education, water quality, and dignity.
If we want to improve menstrual health outcomes globally, we must also talk about:
- Clean water access
- Wastewater treatment
- Investment in sanitation infrastructure
- Support for organisations working on the ground
This issue sits at the intersection of environmental health, gender equity, and human rights - and it’s one I believe deserves far more attention.
Organisations Making a Difference
There are organisations doing vital work at the intersection of water, sanitation, and menstrual health:
- WaterAid — Works globally to improve access to clean water, toilets, and hygiene education, with a strong focus on women and girls.
- UNICEF (WASH Program) — Supports water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure in schools and communities, including menstrual health education6.
- Days for Girls — Focuses on menstrual health education and sustainable period solutions, often alongside water and sanitation initiatives7.
These organisations recognise what’s often overlooked: menstrual dignity depends on clean water.
Why I’m Sharing This
Menstrual equity isn’t just about products. It’s about systems - water, sanitation, education, and environmental protection.
If we want to talk about sustainable period care, we must also talk about:
- Clean water access
- Wastewater treatment
- Infrastructure investment
- Supporting communities, not just selling solutions
This is an environmental issue. A public health issue. And a human rights issue.
If you’re reading this from a place with reliable clean water, I encourage you to pause and recognise that privilege — and consider how you can support change.
That might look like:
- Supporting organisations working on water and menstrual health
- Having open conversations about menstruation and hygiene
- Choosing sustainable products while also advocating for systemic solutions
At Pachamama, we believe menstrual care should be safe, sustainable, and accessible - without harming people or the planet. Clean water is at the heart of that vision.
Thank you for caring.