⟵ The Crisis
⟵ Lack of Access Women and Children ⟶
Health
Unclean water impacts the health and wellbeing of the people who drink it, first and foremost. Water that is not sanitized can carry viruses, bacteria, and parasites, causing possibly deadly water-borne diseases in third world countries that may not be common in developed countries.
Diseases
Each year, about 300 to 500 million people are infected with malaria, and about 500,000 to one million of those people die. Most of these deaths are young children. Elderly people and pregnant women are also at a greater risk. Malaria, a disease spread by parasites found in mosquitos, can cause anemia, organ failure, and breathing problems.
While it is rare in temperate climates, malaria is common in tropical and subtropical climates; it predominantly affects African countries. The lack of properly sanitized water in many parts of rural Africa increase mosquito populations.
Mosquito breeding grounds usually occur near or in water. The Aedes Aegypti, for example, lays its eggs on the sides of water collection containers. Polluted water is no exception. Organic matter in water that mosquitos use to lay eggs provides a nutriton source for the larvae, enabling them to hatch. Properly sanitized water reduces the rates of larvae survival, thus leading to a decreases in mosquito populations.
Cholera, which can be prevented by access to safe drinking water, is an infection of the intestinal tract. Cholera causes severe diarrhea. Between dry periods, increasing floods is ideal for spreading this disease. For some desert areas like Nouakchott, rain is most always accompanied by cholera. Cholera almost disappeared around the 1950s; now, it has reappeared and is spreading.
Loose or watery bowel movements, known as diarrhea, and cholera are often caused by contaminated water. Common causes of diarrhea include bacteria and parasites that are spread by unclean water. Diarrhea causes people to loose water and electrolytes, which can lead to dehydration and death; over 90% of the 1.8 million deaths caused by diarrhea are among children under five.
The simple act of washing hands with soap and clean water can cut the diarrhea by one-third.
Like diarrhea, dysentery can also be easily prevented by proper sanitation. There are two types of dysentery, an infection of the intestines. Amoebic dysentery is caused by amoebas found in contaminated provisions and water while bacillary dysentery is caused by bacteria found in contaminated food or drinks. Dysentery results in diarrhea with blood or mucus, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, and high fevers. While it can be prevented, many communities lack clean water because they lack access to sanitation.
Hepatitis E is a disease caused by liver infection. Annually, there are about 3.3 million cases of hepatitis E; in 2015, it caused 44,000 deaths. Symptoms include abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine, and an enlarged, tender liver.
Since the disease is primarily transmitted through contaminated water, hepatitis E is common in resource-poor areas with limited access to clean water, sanitation, and health services. Contrastingly, areas with consistently clean water rarely see hepatitis E outbreaks.
Furthermore, contaminated drinking water containing bacteria, viruses, or parasites are largely responsible for intestinal worm, gastroenteritis, and typhoid fever. Intestinal worms can cause malnutrition, anemia, and stunted growth. About 10% of the developing world is affected by intestinal worms. In contrast, typhoid fever causes nausea and headaches and affects about 12 million people annually. Gastroenteritis, the inflammation of intestinal lining, can also cause dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.