43. The economic benefits derived from improved health as a result of having access to safe water supply and sanitation have not been fully evaluated. The available experience, however, indicates that such benefits are considerable. UNICEF, for instance, reports that in a rice-growing area of Nigeria with a population of 1.6 million, an estimated $20 million per year in benefits could be generated from increased rice production and sales if Guinea worm disease, which is endemic to the region, were to be eradicated through the provision of safe water SUPPlY lUNICEF further estimates that the generation of this additional income would be sufficient to finance the investments needed for the provision of water to the population through low-cost technology within a period of four years. 6. wed funa -innovative -taovery 44, Information available to WHO within its Country External Support Information System (CESI) programme indicates that, allowing for some degrse of under -reporting, national water supply and sanitation programmes in developing countries were estimated to be funded in constant United States dollars at approximately $6,000 million per year at the start of the Decade rising to around $8,500 million by the end. Globally, it is estimated that approximately 65 per cent of sector funding during the Decade came from national sources. However, in the case of Africa and the least developed countries, where the major reliance appears to have been on external funding, this ppoportion was only somewhat ovar 25 per cent, whereas in western Asia the figure was about 90 per cent. 45. The value of investments in current dollars by external support agencies is reported to have risen steadily from an estimated $2,200 million in 1980 to approximately $4,500 million in 1988. In addition, there has been a eizeable
**Analysis**
The text discusses the economic benefits of providing safe water supply and sanitation, including the eradication of Guinea worm disease and the funding of national water supply and sanitation programs. The text also provides data on the value of investments in water supply and sanitation by external support agencies. Given the focus on the economic benefits and the provision of safe water supply and sanitation, it is likely that the text is related to the field of health and economic development.

**Category**
Health, Economic development