Water is often seen as a lifesaver, but it can also pose a risk to human life. The devastating flood in Pakistan has led to a heightened risk of water-borne diseases.
Currently, 20 million people are at risk of contracting water-related illnesses, including 3.5 million children.
UPDATE: The government of Pakistan has asked World Vision to assist with the set-up and operation of medical clinics that specialize in the treatment of water-borne diseases. Several World Vision clinics are already prescribing medicine and distributing water purification tablets along with advice on making water safe to drink.
What are water-borne diseases?
- A water-borne disease results from contact with bacteria, viruses or parasites often found in water contaminated with sewage or by infected people or animals.
- Types of water-borne diseases include diarrhea, dysentery and cholera.
- Diarrhea, though common and easy to treat in sanitary living conditions, can be deadly without medical care and clean water, since the rapid loss of fluids can lead to severe dehydration. Generally, if blood is passed, the illness is not diarrhea but dysentery.
- Cholera is a more severe infection. The main symptoms are profuse diarrhea and vomiting. Cholera can progress quickly, within one to five days of infection, and is a leading cause of death globally.
Why are they dangerous?
Water-borne diseases are dangerous in any condition, but in the aftermath of a disaster—like that in Pakistan, where roughly one-fifth of the country is underwater—there are several main concerns.
- Contaminated Drinking Water
“Natural disasters, often result in the loss of infrastructure—including sanitation and clean water, which then results in the contamination of drinking water and increased exposure to polluted water,” says Melani Fellows, Nutrition Program Officer for World Vision Canada. Clean water, says Fellows, is essential for preventing deadly water-born illnesses, such as cholera and dysentery. In the aftermath of the Pakistani floods, water sources have been badly contaminated and clean water is in short supply.
- Lack of medication
The combination of lack of clean water and poor access to medication could prove deadly, especially when added to poor living conditions and lack of food for flood-displaced people.
- Outbreaks of Malaria
In addition to water-born illnesses, standing water also acts as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of malaria.
- Child Health With unsafe water
there is serious concern for children, especially those under the age of three. They tend to spend more time playing in areas with high risk of contamination. Their small body size makes them more susceptible to diarrhea-related dehydration (which can be deadly). Since many kids in the developing world suffer from malnutrition, their immune systems are weaker and less able to fight off infections.
What is World Vision Doing?
World Vision has delivered food and water to more than 21,000 people. Our current plan is to provide aid to approximately 300,000 people over the next three months. The organization is also providing basic health care at five clinics in Lower Dir, where more than 2,500 patients have been treated for water-borne diseases and other illnesses.
Your donation to World Vision’s relief efforts in Pakistan will be matched by the government.
Read “10 Things World Vision is Doing in Pakistan” for more on World Vision’s overall flood response.
Check out a photo gallery that illustrates what it is like to be a child in the affected areas.
