A/62/214 entrusted to a public or private company, the State has an obligation to put an effective regulatory system in place to ensure, inter alia, that those living in poverty receive a minimum supply of drinking water and basic sanitation. 55 Three key obstacles 1. Poverty 94. The poor and other marginalized groups have the greatest difficulty in gaining access to safe water and adequate sanitation. Many poor people living in slums, informal settlements and rural communities have no water connection, so they use water from unsafe sources and have inadequate sanitation, resulting in increased levels of morbidity and mortality. Reduction in earning capacity Increased morbidity Poverty Unsafe water and inadequate sanitation 95. An increase in morbidity leads to a reduction in earning capacity, creating a vicious cycle of poverty and ill health that is devastating among the poorest (see figure above). Poverty renders women and men ill-equipped to protect themselves and their children from diseases or to seek treatment for illness. Poor health and an impaired ability to work, compounded by high health costs, deepens poverty. 96. Enhancing access to safe water and adequate sanitation is not only critical to reducing morbidity and mortality; it is also a vital strategy in the struggle against poverty. 2. Gender inequality 97. The relationship between poverty and gender inequality is well known. The traditional roles and tasks assigned to women, such as securing water for household needs, caring for children, the elderly and ill, mean that women are often unable to attend educational institutions and are denied labour opportunities, which may lead to impoverishment and poor health. In some societies, women are further burdened with the task of disposing of the family’s wastewater and faeces, exposing them to __________________ 55 07-45379 E/2003/22-E/C.12/2002/13, general comment 15, para. 24. 21