I am happy to introduce our guest lecturer Dr Batsi Majuru, a technical officer at the World Health Organization. Hi, I am Batsi Majuru from the World Health Organization. I work on the household water treatment and regulation of drinking water quality. I am here today to talk about the International Network and household water treatment and safe storage. In this module we'll take a brief look at the background of the Network and why it was established. We will discuss the mission and objectives of the Network and look at a few examples of the Network's activities. The Network was established by the World Health Organization with the objective of accelerating health gains to those without reliable access to safe drinking water. At the time of the establishment of the Network in 2003 the field of household water treatment and safe storage was rapidly evolving. And it was difficult to keep up with the various developments. Research was fragmented and not always accessible. Practitioners were diverse, and working initiatives were often disconnected. And there was no coherent voice on all those various developments to enable adoption of policy. The Network was formed as a global platform to bring together these various entities and coordinate efforts. The Network aims to contribute to a significant reduction in waterborne, in water related vector-borne diseases, especially among vulnerable populations by promoting household water treatment and safe storage as a key component of community targeted environmental health programs. Vulnerable populations include children, people whose immune systems are compromised and of course those who do not have access to safe and reliable water supplies. The mission's statement of the Network also emphasizes that household water treatment and safe storage is not an alternative to improve water supplies, but it is a complement to infrastructural improvements. It also emphasizes that household water treatment should be integrated within wider public and environmental health programs to maximize health impact. To fulfill this mission the Network has forced strategic objectives that are centered around advocacy, communication, research, implementation and scaling up. The network is coordinated by the World Health Organization and the United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF). Communication support within the Network is provided by the University of North Carolina. Today the Network has over 150 participating organizations, including academic institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, policy makers and donors and brings together all these entities to share experiences, know-how and find new and effective ways of getting safe water to those who need it most. Some examples of the network's activities include regional workshops to support development of national policies and frameworks. These workshops bring together government officials, donors and implementers working in various countries and have led the development of over twenty national action plans and household water treatment and safe storage. Here is a picture of one of these workshops in Lao. The Network has also developed resources and best practices, including the toolkit for monitoring and evaluation of household water treatment and safe storage. In addition the Network has been advocating for integration of household water treatment and safe storage within key public health efforts, including maternal and child health, nutrition and HIV. The latest research and activities related to household water treatment and safe storage is regularly shared through the Network newsletter. If you are interested in finding out more about the Network please visit the website. You can sign up for the listserve and be able to receive the regular newsletters and announcements, participate in webinars and hear what's going on in this field and share your feedback on the Network's tools and resources. So, in summary, ensuring that health gains from household water treatment and safe storage are realized by those who need it most requires coordinated effort across various disciplines and sectors. The WHO/UNICEF HWTS Network is the global forum that brings together these various entities. Thank you.