Water Sanitation Issues Including Waterborne Disease in Africa



Water Sanitation Issues Including Waterborne Disease In Africa

Introduction

Fresh water is a finite and scarce natural resource in many parts of the world. The water is related to our lives in several ways, from drinking, to food preparation and for sanitation. This essay discusses the problem of water sanitation with specific reference to Africa. It also discusses the diseases that are cause by contaminated water.

Discussion

The requirement of water intake ranges from 1.8 to 5 liters per capita per day (Gleick 1996). The variation in water consumption varies with climate, during pregnancy and physical activities during the day. World health organization (WHO) recommends 7.5 liters of water per capital per day for fulfilling the need of most people in under most conditions (UNICEF, 2012). Water sanitation is the removal of human and animal waste to avoid coming in contact with it. The quality of water is directly related to the water sanitation. The clean water gets contaminated by coming in contact with excretory products like human feces and urine. This causes wastage of water as the water is contaminated by poor sanitation. Poor sanitation or particularly sewage and human waste are the major contributor in the contamination of water UNICEF et al. (2004). Poor countries especially in Africa suffer from in adequate sanitation facility and resulting contamination of scarce fresh water which intensifies the problem.

Water with chemical, physical, and microbial characteristics that meets the national standards and guidelines set by WHO, is termed as safe water. Water sanitation is the absence or lack of safe drinking water. It is considered one of the world's leading problem that affects more than 1.1 billion people globally. One in every six people does not have access to safe drinking water. According to the statistics by WHO/UNICEF Joint monitoring program for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), 2.5 billion people that is, 37% % of the developing world's lack improved sanitation facility (Africanneeds, 2012). Furthermore, it is found that, more than 780 million have to use unsafe drinking water sources.

Using unsafe drinking water, due to inadequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation services along with poor hygienic practices are responsible for sickening and killing of thousands of children every single day. Also, it leads thousands others to diminished and impoverished opportunities.

The repercussions of poor sanitation, water and hygiene extend beyond obvious. The children are stopped from going school, since the schools lack adequate sanitation facility in the community and schools. Farmers and workers become less productive due to illnesses caused by drinking unsafe water. In turn, economies suffer with deaths and halted economy.

Several organizations are working to improve the situation. The situation in Africa is particularly worst. UNICEF is working in more than 90 countries across regions to improve the facilities of water supplies, sanitation in communities and schools, to promote safe and hygienic practices. UNICEF works in several ways; it approaches these areas directly, supports likeminded organizations, and run program though government ...