Background

Despite being one of India’s most developed cities, Mumbai continues to face a severe burden of water-borne diseases, particularly within its low-income communities. Limited access to safe drinking water, poor sanitation infrastructure, and contaminated supply lines continue leading to the widespread prevalence of serious illnesses like  diarrhoea, gastroenteritis and typhoid amongst others. According to a survey conducted by the Times of India, 83% illnesses in Mumbai are water-borne illnesses and an estimated 7.7 million people are affected by the same every year. 

This burden, however, is not equally distributed. Women from underserved regions are disproportionately affected due to their central role in household responsibilities that require water usage like cooking, cleaning and caregiving. As a result, they are often the first to be exposed to unsafe water but the last to receive medical attention. What adds to this is limited awareness of early symptoms, transmission pathways, and preventive measures which places both; women and children at risk of long-term health risks. 

Despite the scale of the issue, community-level engagement remains limited and a clear gap exists in accessible education, preventive care, and locally driven awareness initiatives. Through its humble and genuine efforts, SipSafe aims to tap into this very issue by focusing on removing barriers to awareness, early intervention, and preventive healthcare, that consequently empowers women in need, with the knowledge and tools that can help protect themselves and their families from water-borne diseases.