In underdeveloped countries, a large population depends on untreated water for drinking.
Every year about 30 million people die worldwide because of sanitation problems.
Studies have shown that improving the water supply and sanitation quality dramatically reduces mortality.
Typhoid, Cholera, and Malaria are the most common water-related diseases. They lead to most deaths in the world.
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A. Types of Water Related Diseases
Four types of water related diseases are listed below.
1. Water-Borne Diseases
The diseases caused due to the consumption of the drinking water contaminated by human or animal excrete, which contains pathogenic micro-organisms, are known as water-borne diseases.
They are – Cholera, Typhoid, Dysentery, etc.
2. Water-Based Diseases
These diseases are caused due to contact with dirty water transmitted through aquatic animals(i.e. fishes) and caused by aquatic organisms that spend a part of their life cycle in water.
They are guinea, worm, snail, schistosomiasis, etc.
3. Water Vector Diseases
These diseases are transmitted through the biting of mosquitoes.
Vector like mosquitoes transfer parasites(viruses, bacteria’s, protozoans, worms, etc.) into the human body.
Some diseases of this group are malaria, yellow fever, dengue, etc.
4. Water Washed Diseases
This disease is caused due to a lack of personal hygiene.
Infection is transmitted when fresh and good water is scarce for washing hands or the body.
These diseases are scabies, trachoma( eye inflammation), leprosy, fungal infection, etc.
B. Prevention Methods
1. Drink only adequately treated water.
There are many ways to treat water like boiling water, chlorination, Bromine treatment, silver treatment, filtration, ozone treatment, iodine treatment, etc.
2. Take care of personal hygiene.
Using bad water to clean the body and washing hands leads to more severe problems. So, good water is required for both consumption and external use also.
3. Managing and maintaining an excellent environment to reduce pollution and water-related diseases.
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