HEALTH + WELLNESS |
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THE WORLD OF WATER cont. |
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The Dangers of Drinking Dirty Water
Of course, the benefits listed above come from drinking the clean, healthy water that we’ re lucky enough to be able to get straight from the tap – or buy if that’ s your preference. But, what if your only source of water was dirty? What then?
Drinking dirty, contaminated water – as many people in the poorest parts of the world have to do – is killing around 3.4 million people every year. It leads to a plethora of waterborne diseases. These are just some of them.
• Cholera is one of the worst diseases to come from dirty water. It causes diarrhoea, which dehydrates those suffering with it. Take into account that the most vulnerable people are already dangerously dehydrated and you can see how quickly this could kill thousands.
• Cryptosporidium is a tiny parasite also found in dirty water. Again, it causes diarrhoea which leads to dehydration. It also affects those with compromised immune systems such as AIDS patients and it is particularly damaging to young children and the elderly.
• Dysentery is a nasty disease. It’ s a type of gastroenteritis that
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causes more diarrhoea – only this time it will be mixed with blood from internal bleeding. Other symptoms include stomach pain and fever.
• Giardiasis is another tummy bug with similar symptoms to cryptosporidium; it is also caused by a parasite called giardia lamblia. What’ s particularly worrying about this disease is that in around 10 per cent of people there are no symptoms and it’ s extremely easy to pass from one person to another. That means that if someone is infected by drinking contaminated water they may not realise and through simple contact with family and friends they can spread a dangerous disease further than ever.
• Hepatitis E can also be contracted through dirty water. This disease attacks the liver causing inflammation and pain. It’ s not pleasant, but it’ s generally not fatal either. Unless you are pregnant. If you contract hepatitis E when pregnant and you don’ t get treatment, it can result in the loss of the baby and the mother.
• Typhoid fever spreads quickly through the body affecting every organ that it touches.
Every one of these potentially deadly diseases is preventable; it just takes clean, safe water.
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WORLD WATER DAY
If the idea that people are forced to drink contaminated water every day because they have no choice is something that disgusts you, then you will be interested to learn more about World Water Day and its ultimate aim to bring clean, safe water to as much of the developing world as possible.
World Water Day( launched in 1993 by the United Nations General Assembly) is being held on Thursday 22nd March 2018, and its theme this year is‘ nature for water’. Solutions to the world’ s water crisis using natural methods will be considered, and many new ideas will be brought to the public’ s attention.
Although the dangers of contaminated water are most keenly felt in developing countries such as those in Africa, damaged ecosystems around the world are affecting the quality – and even the quantity – of the water that is available for general human consumption. Amazingly, even though the world is 70 per cent covered in water, only around one per cent of that is not frozen and not seawater. One per cent. We can’ t allow that figure to get smaller. Today, around 2.1 billion people live without safe water
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to drink, which is staggering. Sadly, those numbers will continue to grow, and grow quickly, if nothing is done to stop this huge global problem from spreading.
There is a plan. Sustainable Development Goal 6 wants the world’ s commitment that everyone – absolutely every single person – will have access to wholesome, safe, uncontaminated drinking water by the year 2030. It’ s a big goal to achieve, but the experts say it can be done.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Donating money is always helpful and if you head over to www. worldwaterday. org you can see how to go about it. There are items of clothing and other accessories for sale on the site too.
As well as money, you can help to checking out your local rivers, streams, ponds, and any other water source near you. Take photos and make notes of what it looks like – and how polluted it is. Upload your findings to World Water Day, so that a global analysis can take place.
Finally, drink water. Appreciate it. We’ re all very lucky to have such easy access to it.
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