Water-borne Diseases

High Incidence of Morbidity &

Mortality-developing Countries

Environmental
Unsafe water supply
Poor personal hygiene practice
Insanitory environment
Poor housing
Insects and rodents
 Unsafe water supply

Much of ill-health in developing

countries is due to lack of safe and
wholesome water supply
There can be no state of positive
health & wellbeing without safe water
Role in socio-economic development
of human population
 The Problem

~80% of infectious diseases

> 5 million people die each year
> 2 million die from water-related
diarrhea alone
Most of those dying are small
children
 Other Consequences

Lost work days

Missed educational opportunities
Official and unofficial healthcare
costs
Draining of family resources
 Water Pollution

Natural
Man made
 Water Pollution-Natural

Dissolved gases
Dissolved minerals
Water Pollution-Natural

Not essentially dangerous

Derived from:
atmosphere
soil
catchment area
Water Pollution-Man made

Dangerous
derived from:
human activity (open field
defecation)
urbanization
industrialization
Water Pollution-Man made

Sewage: decomposable organic matter

and pathogenic agents
Industrial & trade wastes: toxic
agents and complex chemicals
Agricultural pollutants: fertilizers
and pesticides
Physical pollutants: heat & radio
active substances
 Indicators Of Pollution

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) at

20 degree centigrade
Con.of chlorides, nitrogen,
phosphorous
Absence of dissolved oxygen
 Diseases Related to
Water

Water-borne Water-based
Diseases Diseases

Inadequate Water-related
Water- Diseases
Diseases
 Water-borne Diseases

Diseases caused by ingestion of

water contaminated by human or
animal excrement, which contain
pathogenic microorganisms.
 Due To Presence Of Infective Agent

Bacterial: cholera, typhoid, amoebic and

bacillary dysentery and other diarrheal
diseases
Viral: viral hepatitis A, hepatitis E,
poliomyelitis, rotavirus,
Protozoal: amoebiasis, giardiasis
Helminthic: round worm, thread worm,
hydatidosis
Leptospiral: weil’s disease
 Due to Presence of Aquatic
Host

Diseases caused by parasites found in

intermediate organisms living in
contaminated water
Snail: Schistosomiasis
Cyclops: Dracunculosis, Fish tape
worm
 Diarrheal Diseases

Giardiasis (Protozoan)
Cryptosporidiosis (Bacteria)
Campylobacteriosis (Bacteria)
Shigellosis (Bacteria)
Viral Gastroenteritis (Virus)
Cyclosporiasis (Parasite)
 Pollution of Water
With Chemicals

Arsenic
Flouride
Nitrates from fertilizers
Carcinogenic pesticides (DDT)
Lead (from pipes)
Heavy Metals
 Diseases-due to
Inadequate Water

Diseases caused by poor personal

hygiene and skin and eye contact with
contaminated water.
These include scabies, trachoma,
typhus, and other flea, lice and tick-
borne diseases.
Water-related Diseases

Water-related diseases are caused

by insect vectors, especially
mosquitoes, that breed or feed near
contaminated water and not due to
lack of access to clean water or
sanitation services, e.g.., malaria,
filaria, dengue, yellow fever etc.,
 Other Water-borne
diseases
Bathing
Swimming
Other recreational activities that
have water contact
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Control & Prevention
 Global

Governments

Communities

Individuals
 Global Surveillance

Public health infrastucture

Standardized surveillance of water-
borne disease outbreaks
Guidelines must be established for
investigating and reporting water-
borne diseases
 Education Issues

Hygiene education
Good nutrition
Improvements in habitation and
general sanitation
Higher education training in water-
related issues
 Communication and the
Media

Impacts at all levels

Very powerful, when other methods
fail
 General Guidelines

Avoid contacting soil that may be

contaminated with human feces.
Do not defecate outdoors.
Dispose of diapers properly.
 General Guidelines-cont.,

Wash hands with soap and water

before handling food.
When traveling to countries where
sanitation and hygiene are poor, avoid
water or food that may be
contaminated.
Wash, peel or cook all raw vegetables
and fruits before eating.
 The Future

Even if by the year 2015 the

proportion of people who are unable
to reach or to afford safe drinking
water is halved, 76 million people,
mostly children, will die from
preventable water-borne diseases.