Water-borne diseases are a major health issue around the world

We were very struck by a comment we read recently by the Indian American businessman Manoj Bhargava:

'People with water-borne diseases occupy more than 50% of hospital beds across the world. Does the answer lie in building more hospitals? Really, what is needed is to give them clean water.’ 

How true! We read the quote on the website of Business Connect, which develops products and businesses to bring clean water and light to people living in developing countries.

The Business Connect article provides an overview to the global health and sanitation crisis and has a number of other striking facts:

• Neglected Tropical Diseases are a direct result of water and hygiene related issues. Bacteria, parasites and viruses run amok in rural regions. Mosquitos, carrying Zika, malaria, and other diseases swarm around sitting water. Guinea Worm Disease (an extremely painful parasitical infection), buruli ulcer, schistosomiasis and hundreds more diseases affect the poor countries at an alarming rate. Less water and sanitation also means less sewage flow, leading to stagnant water and pools, particularly in tropical and subtropical climates. These pools then become breeding grounds for viruses and parasites foreign to that area.
• Basic sanitation and clean affordable water can end up saving over 17,000 people a week.
• By the year 2025, due to overpopulation, 2/3 of the world will face water shortages. To make matters even worse, the other 1/3 will have to deal will a growing strain on their sanitation installations. Drinkable water will become a scarce commodity.

You can find the rest of the article here.

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