African Water Development Report 2006 - United Nations Economic ...

Fig. 5.9: Life Expectancy at Birth in African CountriesWATER FOR MEETING BASIC NEEDSSource: Africa Facts: http://www.nationmaster.comThe development of water supply and sanitationcan reduce waterborne diseases (YamamuraS. T. el al., 2002). The Global Water Supply andSanitation Assessment Report, 2000, emphasizesthat lack of improved domestic water supplyleads to diseases through two principal transmissionroutes:(a) Waterborne diseases from drinking contaminatedwater. This has led to many dramaticoutbreaks of faecal–oral diseases suchas cholera and typhoid. Outbreaks of wa-terborne diseases, including those transmittedby the faecal–oral route, (diarrhoea, typhoid,viral hepatitis A, cholera, dysentery)and dracunculiasis continue to occur acrossthe developed and developing world;(b) Water-washed diseases which occur whenthere is insufficient water for washing andpersonal hygiene. Without enough water,people cannot keep their hands, bodies anddomestic environments clean and hygienic.Skin and eye infections (including trachoma)are as easily spread as are faecal–oraldiseases.91