How can improvement in water and sanitation save us from diseases?

Improvement in water and sanitation plays a significant role in preventing the spread of waterborne diseases and helps in improving public health. Availability and access to pure and safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities can prevent the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, dengue fever, etc. by reducing the exposure of faecal matter and other contaminants to people. Waterborne diseases can be reduced significantly by promoting the reduction in environmental contamination and preventing the spread of diseases due to vectors like mosquitoes and flies. Therefore, improved water and sanitation will lead to a better and healthy life for the community.

 What do you mean by sanitation?

• Sanitation can be defined as the availability of clean and safe conditions to live in. 
• This includes the provision of safe disposal of human waste, solid waste management, water treatment plants, toilets, non-contaminated drinking water and hygiene education.

What do you mean by water-borne diseases?

• The illness caused by drinking or by coming in contact with contaminated water is called waterborne disease. 
• The main source of this contaminated water is industrial waste, agricultural runoff, faecal matter, etc.

Impact on India and World 

• According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s report, about 70% of India’s water supply is contaminated. 
• According to a study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) it was found that out of 11,000 water samples collected from various sources all over India, only 33% were fit for drinking without any treatment.
• According to World Health Organization (WHO) around 100,000 deaths every year in India due to waterborne diseases.
• In India, groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for many, often it is also contaminated with high levels of fluoride, arsenic, and other pollutants.
• According to a WHO report, unsafe water and poor sanitation are responsible for approximately 842,000 deaths annually all over the world.
• Across the globe, around 2.2 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water, and around 4.2 billion people lack access to safely managed sanitation services.
• Lack of safe and clean water is the major reason behind the malnutrition of children all over the world.

Diseases occur due to contaminated water and unhygienic sanitation system

1.    Cholera
2.    Typhoid fever
3.    Dysentery
4.    Polio
5.    Diarrhea
6.    Giardiasis
7.    Guinea worm disease
8.    Campylobacteriosis
9.    Rotavirus infection
10.    Trachoma

     These diseases have serious implications on health and can be very dangerous for small children, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems.

Steps should be taken for improving water and sanitation

1. Wastewater treatment         

   Wastewater coming out of homes, and industries should be treated in a wastewater treatment plant before releasing that water into lakes or rivers. This step can have a significant impact on reducing water contamination in rivers and lakes and will also reduce the waterborne diseases occurring to people after coming in contact with these water bodies.
   

2. Sanitation facilities       

   This includes building and maintaining toilets and waste management systems, promoting safe disposal of human waste, and encouraging handwashing with soap and water. The Indian government is building millions of toilets all over the nation to improve sanitation facilities and to make India open defecation free.
   

3. Behavioral Change

   This involves raising awareness about the importance of safe water and sanitation practices, educating people about the health risks of contaminated water, and promoting good hygiene practices such as handwashing with soap and water.
   

4. Promoting technology and innovation

   New technology and innovations can play a vital role in this whole process of improving water and sanitation, like using solar-powered water treatment plants and developing other such methods.
   

5. Community Participation

   Community participation can make this transition very fast and smooth. It won’t be wrong to say that these social issues can’t be solved without public participation and awareness. One major example of community participation in water and sanitation is the Delhi Government’s 10-week anti-dengue program ’10 Hafte 10 Baje 10 Minute’ which helped significantly reduce dengue cases in the country’s capital in recent years with the help of public awareness and participation.
   

6. Working for universal access

   For promoting public health all over the world, achieving universal access to safe and clean water and sanitation is very important and this can only be done through serious efforts by governments, NGOs, and other major stakeholders. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Que 1. Mention some of the major challenges for improving water and sanitation.

Answer –

• Lack of monetary funding
• Lack of social awareness
• Lack of proper infrastructure 

Que 2. Is there a lack of safe drinking water?

Answer – Yes, there is a lack of adequate drinking water for everyone in India and all over the world.

Que 3. Major waterborne diseases?

Answer – Cholera, Dysentery, Diarrhea, Polio, etc.

Que 4. What role of Governments in improving the situation?

Answer – The governments have a major role to play in this be it either spreading public awareness or providing funds or providing adequate infrastructure for the right course of action.