The Australian Government will partner with non-government organisations to deliver better access to water sanitation methods for more than 1.8 million people across the Pacific, Asia and Africa.
The $97 million Civil Society Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Fund is expected to resource around 40 programs in 20 countries to help rural and urban communities access safe water and learn basic sanitation methods.
Diarrhoea kills 1.5 million children every year and is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old.
This new funding will build on the successful $32.6 million program which was completed in March 2012 to help reduce disease and improve health in some of the world´s poorest nations.
The Prime Minister also announced Australia would commit a further $50 million to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to help provide a regular and reliable food supply for the world's poor.
This contribution will assist more than 7.5 million people throughout the world by boosting agricultural productivity, increasing incomes and improving nutrition.
This is an important step towards achieving the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty and hunger by 2015.
This contribution is in addition to our previous commitment of $50 million in 2010, making Australia the fifth largest donor to the GAFSP.
The GAFSP Program has seen early results in Togo and Rwanda and signs are positive in other countries.
In Rwanda, farmers are reducing erosion and boosting agricultural productivity. Since 2011, the proportion of land protected against soil erosion has risen from 11 per cent to 27 per cent in the area being treated, potato yields are seven times higher and cereal yields have quadrupled.
In Togo GAFSP support is helping to implement a national agriculture plan and improve seeds, fertiliser and training for small holder farmers which will directly benefit 258,000 people.