Cigna Foundation Taps Water For People as Recipient of World of Difference Grant
March 23 2015 - 3:15PM
Business Wire
- 1.8 billion people lack access to safe
water
- 35 percent of the world’s population
lacks sanitation
- Half of world’s hospital beds filled
with people suffering from waterborne disease
- 3.4 million die annually from
water-related disease
- World Water Day Recognized March
22
The Cigna Foundation today announced a $100,000 World of
Difference grant to Water For People, a global organization helping
to improve health for 1.8 billion people who lack access to safe
water, and 2.8 billion people – or 35 percent of the world's
population – without access to sanitation. Water For People,
headquartered in Denver, supports the development of locally
sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities, and
hygiene education programs in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru,
Bolivia, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi and India.
The Cigna Foundation grant will help Water For People reach four
million people in nine countries by 2018. Additionally, Cigna's
health and finance experts will help Water for People measure the
health impacts of its programs and address financial challenges
related to water system replacement and repair.
“With Water For People, the Cigna Foundation is looking to help
those around the globe who lack the basic essentials of safe water
and sanitation, which are fundamental to good health,” said David
Figliuzzi, executive director of the Cigna Foundation. “We believe
it’s inexcusable that half of the world’s hospital beds are filled
with people suffering from waterborne disease, and 3.4 million
people a year are dying from water-related disease. We share Water
For People’s vision that one day, every family, every school and
every clinic will have access to safe water and sanitation.”
Water For People’s approach, as seen in this video,
http://vimeo.com/channels/691451/24844769 ensures water system
sustainability by requiring a commitment from each beneficiary
community. Water For People believes the community must be actively
involved in the planning, implementation and maintenance of its
water system. Water For People does not send engineers and
volunteer laborers into a community to build systems. Instead,
local community members are trained to build and maintain systems,
and collect tariffs for on-going operations. Water For People uses
only locally available materials should repairs be needed, ensuring
that community members have the ability to maintain their own water
and sanitation systems.
“Cigna's support will enable our projects to impact entire
districts. Safe drinking water and adequate sanitation can change
the local economy as people are able to work and build businesses.
Children are less likely to be ill and can attend school. Women are
free from tedious water collection and can take care of their
families and generate income. Local entrepreneurs are able to
create businesses and services related to this new community
asset,” explained Kristin Sturges Hood, assistant director,
marketing and partnerships, Water For People.
With World Water Day recognized in March, Cigna urges everyone
to think about the world’s water supply. For its part, Cigna
recently set environmental reduction goals that include a three
percent water reduction target by 2017. More information on Cigna’s
water conservation efforts can be found here in the company’s
annual corporate responsibility report.
About the Cigna Foundation
The Cigna Foundation, founded in 1962, is a private foundation
funded by contributions from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its
subsidiaries. The Cigna Foundation supports organizations sharing
its commitment to enhancing the health of individuals and families,
and the well-being of their communities, with a special focus on
those communities where Cigna employees live and work. The Cigna
Foundation World of Difference grants provide support for improving
children’s wellness, senior care, women’s health and health equity
– the four social priorities for Cigna's corporate responsibility
platform known as Cigna Connects.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company
dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and
sense of security. All products and services are provided
exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna
Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company,
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of
North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Such
products and services include an integrated suite of health
services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy,
vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including
group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains
sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more
than 85 million customer relationships throughout the world. To
learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook
or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
About Water For People
Water For People brings together local entrepreneurs, civil
society, governments, and communities to establish creative,
collaborative solutions that allow people to build and maintain
their own reliable safe water systems. Empowering everyone
transforms people’s lives by improving health and economic
productivity to end the cycle of poverty
The road to permanent water coverage for Everyone Forever is
challenging, but the outcomes are easy to root for — more children
are in school, more individuals are employed, more families are
healthy and thriving, and more communities are collaborating and
growing. From there, the impact continues to ripple out on a
national and global scale. If we invest more and work hard to
create sustainable and replicable water and sanitation
infrastructure, we can create a world where people can focus on
their futures…their forever.
CignaGloria Barone, 215-761-4758Gloria.barone@cigna.com
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