WATER CRISIS IS A GLOBAL ISSUE

WATER CRISIS IN AFRICA HOW BAD IS IT?

WATER CRISIS IS A GLOBAL ISSUE

 MOST AFFECTED ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE IN THE SOCIETY SUCH AS THE CRISIS-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES, IDPs, SLUMS AND REMOTE POOR COMMUNITIES ETC.

                                  What Are Waterborne Diseases?

A waterborne disease is simply any disease that is contracted by drinking dirty or contaminated water. In under-developed countries, the water is typically contaminated by human and animal feces or a general lack of sanitation. In more developed countries, it can be caused by faulty pipes, pumps, or purification facilities. It’s even possible to get a waterborne disease by eating food that was contaminated by dirty water.

Some of the most well known waterborne diseases are polio, malaria, cholera, and diarrhea. All of these diseases are serious health threats and could lead to death.

• Polio attacks the nervous system and causes paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death.

• When you think of malaria you probably think of mosquitos, but malaria is also a waterborne disease. Malaria is a life-threatening illness that causes high fever, chills, vomiting, and even coma.

• Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that, if left untreated, can be fatal.

• Diarrhea may seem harmless enough, but believe it or not, in developing countries without access to modern medicine and clean drinking water, it kills about 2.2 million people per year, usually due to severe dehydration.

The most common waterborne disease that affects tourists in under-developed countries is likely travelers diarrhea. Also known as Delhi Belly or Tourist Trot, an estimated 10 million travelers are affected by it each year. The biggest risk factor for developing travelers diarrhea is your destination.

If you’re traveling to an area that has a high occurrence of waterborne diseases, do your due diligence to prepare so that you don’t contract anything while you’re on the road.

For more information on how to support our  Water project in northeast conflict-affected communities and poor communities in Nigeria please Donate to help us raise funds for the purchase of water pumps and water filters.

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