Water pollution

problem

- The municipality of San Luis Tolima is being affected by the large amount of garbage thrown by
the community outside the river Luisa, causing bad odors and causing diseases to children and
adults who live near the river. These irresponsible and unsustainable behaviors have caused not
only the affectation of ecosystems, but also have opened a gap where thousands of people are
affected, both in the health, labor, personal and social spheres.

diseases caused by water contamination

Water and health

Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to the transmission of diseases such as
cholera, other diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid fever and polio. If water and sanitation
services are absent, inadequate or inappropriately managed, the population is exposed to
preventable health risks. This is especially true in the case of health facilities, where both patients
and professionals are exposed to greater risks of infection and disease in the absence of water
supply, sanitation and hygiene services. Globally, 15% of patients contract infections during
hospitalization, a proportion that is much higher in low-income countries.

Inadequate management of urban, industrial and agricultural wastewater means that the water
that hundreds of millions of people drink is dangerously contaminated biologically or chemically.
The natural presence of chemicals such as arsenic and fluoride, particularly in groundwater, can
also be a health determinant. In addition, other chemicals, such as lead, can occur in high amounts
in drinking water as a result of leaching from water supply-related constituents.

Epidemiological data

At least 6.2 million Colombians receive water in their homes that represents a high health risk, and
368,000 of them are exposed to water containing high concentrations of fecal bacteria, viruses,
parasites and non-biological elements, such as minerals and chemicals, making it unfit for
consumption.And although this 13.6 percent of the Colombian population faces high risks every
time it consumes tap water, this does not mean that the rest is safe. These figures are released
precisely on World Water Day.According to the 'National Report on Water Quality for Human
Consumption' (Inca 2016), presented last year by the Environmental Health sub-directorate of the
Ministry of Health, one in three municipalities supplies good quality water. In the rest it is not fit
for consumption.
In technical terms, these results place the water supplied in Colombia at medium risk (21.6,
according to the index), which when compared to other years shows a significant deterioration
since 2007. The report clarifies that the decline of the indicator is argued by the greater number
of controls, now mandatory

WATER AND HEALTH

Among the factors associated with an increased risk of illness and even death from acute diarrheal
disease (ADE) are poor personal hygiene and cleanliness in food preparation and consumption,

fecal contamination of water and food; ADEs alone are responsible for an annual average of
604,871 morbidity and mortality events.

604,871 morbidity events and 98 cases of mortality, both reported in epidemiological surveillance
every year (13).

every year (13). Often the population affected by ADE problems find it difficult to report to school
or work.

school or at work.

The epidemiological surveillance system shows an upward trend in the notification of events due
to ADEs in the period 2005-2013.

events in the period 2005-2013, with a cumulative total of 296,018 events reported in 2014, for a
morbidity rate of 575,018 events and a morbidity rate of 575,018 events.

morbidity rate of 575.68 per 10,000 inhabitants.

Depending on the source of water supply, the prevalence of diarrhea varies; 13 percent of children
living in households that obtain drinking water from a private standpipe have diarrhea.

13 percent of children living in households that obtain their drinking water from a private
standpipe suffer from diarrhea, while this percentage rises to 18 percent of children when they
obtain water from a public standpipe (12);

This percentage rises to 18% of children when they obtain their drinking water from a public stand
(12).

In the country, for the period 1997-2012, a total of 7,879 deaths from water-related diseases were
recorded, of which 7,879 occurred in the first half of the year (13).

of which 54.37 percent occurred in males and 45.63 percent in females.

female. Of every 10 deaths, 6 are in the 0 to 4 age group. Of the country's 153 municipalities

39 of the country's 153 municipalities account for 70 percent of deaths in the country according to
the causes studied.

According to the reasons for consultations at the first level of care for water-related diseases, 58%
were for diarrhea and gastroenteritis of presumed infectious origin, followed by anemia (14%)

58% were due to diarrhea and gastroenteritis of presumed infectious origin, followed by anemia
(14%), scabies (8%), giardiasis (2%), amoebiasis (2%) and, to a lesser extent, ascariasis (2%),

Scabies (8%), Giardasis (2%), Amebiasis (2%) and in a smaller proportion Ascariasis (with intestinal
complications with other unspecified complications). The following is a list of the municipalities
with
according to reasons for consultation in selected diseases are identified below