Hydraulic ram pumps and Sling Pumps

Global water supply and sanitation Assessment 2000 report - Chapter 1Water supply and healthLack of improved domestic water supply leads todisease through two principal transmission routes (8):• Waterborne disease transmission occurs bydrinking contaminated water. This has taken place inmany dramatic outbreaks of faecal–oral diseases suchas cholera and typhoid. Outbreaks of waterbornedisease continue to occur across the developed anddeveloping world. Evidence suggests that waterbornedisease contributes to background rates of disease notdetected as outbreaks. The waterborne diseases includethose transmitted by the faecal–oral route (includingdiarrhoea, typhoid, viral hepatitis A, cholera, dysentery)and dracunculiasis. International efforts focus on thepermanent eradication of dracunculiasis (guinea wormdisease).• Water-washed disease occurs when there is a lackof sufficient quantities of water for washing andpersonal hygiene. When there is not enough water,people cannot keep their hands, bodies and domesticenvironments clean and hygienic. Without enough water,skin and eye infections (including trachoma) are easilyspread, as are the faecal–oral diseases.• Diarrhoea is the most important public healthproblem affected by water and sanitation and can beboth waterborne and water-washed.Adequate quantities of safe water for consumption andits use to promote hygiene are complementarymeasures for protecting health. The quantity of waterpeople use depends upon their ease of access to it. Ifwater is available through a house or yard connectionpeople will use large quantities for hygiene, butconsumption drops significantly when water must becarried for more than a few minutes from a source to thehousehold (9).Sanitation and healthSanitation facilities interrupt the transmission of muchfaecal–oral disease at its most important source bypreventing human faecal contamination of water andsoil. Epidemiological evidence suggests that sanitation isat least as effective in preventing disease as improvedwater supply. Often, however, it involves majorbehavioural changes and significant household cost.Sanitation is likely to be particularly effective incontrolling worm infections. Adults often think ofsanitation in adult terms, but the safe disposal ofchildren's faeces is of critical importance. Children arethe main victims of diarrhoea and other faecal–oraldisease, and also the most likely source of infection.Child-friendly toilets, and the development of effectiveschool sanitation programmes, are important andpopular strategies for promoting the demand forsanitation facilities and enhancing their impact.Adequate quantities of safe water and good sanitation facilities are necessary conditions for healthyliving, but their impact will depend upon how they are used. Three key hygiene behaviours are ofgreatest likely benefit: it:●●●Hand washing with soap (or ash or other aid).Safe disposal of children's faeces.Safe water handling and storage.Back to table of contents | Continuehttp://www.who.int/docstore/water_sanitation_health/Globassessment/Global1.htm (4 of 4) [1/13/2005 12:44:42 PM]