PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
WHO moves to curb death from waterborne diseases
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Each year, two million people die from waterborne diseases and billions more suffer illness – mostly children under five, the UN health agency, World Health Organisation (WHO), said Monday.
However, much of the ill-health and suffering are preventable. People drink unsafe or contaminated water, even though steps to prevent a major part of this contamination lie within our reach and means.
To address the situation, the revised WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, released Monday, calls on governments to strengthen their management of drinking-water quality by adopting a "Water Safety Planning" approach.
When implemented by individual countries, this approach can yield significant and sustainable improvements in public health. It requires a paradigm shift in drinking-water management for many countries.
The guidelines compel water suppliers to systematically assess the potential risk of contaminants to enter water, from the catchment to the consumer, take action based on their findings and document the process.
“Countries have an opportunity to make substantial public health progress by setting and applying effective and appropriate standards for ensuring safe water," said Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment.
"Shifting to a primary prevention approach is more effective, costs less and gives us the flexibility to deal with new pressures threatening water safety such as climate change, population growth and urbanization."
The guidelines are regarded globally as the most authoritative framework on drinking-water quality and often form the basis for national laws and regulations.
In addition to highlighting common challenges in providing safe and clean water, the guidelines map out new solutions.
For the first time, comprehensive good practice recommendations are provided for all levels, from household rainwater harvesting and safe storage through to policy advice on bulk water supply and the implications of climate change.
The new guidelines also include recommendations on: drinking-water safety, including minimum procedures, specific guideline values and how these should be used; microbial hazards, which continue to be the primary concern in both developing and developed countries; climate change, which results in changing water temperature and rainfall patterns, severe and prolonged drought or increased flooding and its implications for water quality and water scarcity, recognizing the importance of managing these impacts as part of water management strategies.
Also in the guidelines are chemical contaminants in drinking-water, including information on chemicals not considered previously such as pesticides used for disease vector control in stored drinking-water; key chemicals responsible for large-scale health effects through drinking-water exposure, including arsenic, fluoride and lead, and chemicals of public concern such as nitrate, selenium, uranium and disinfection-by-products.
-0- PANA DJ/BOS 4July2011
However, much of the ill-health and suffering are preventable. People drink unsafe or contaminated water, even though steps to prevent a major part of this contamination lie within our reach and means.
To address the situation, the revised WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, released Monday, calls on governments to strengthen their management of drinking-water quality by adopting a "Water Safety Planning" approach.
When implemented by individual countries, this approach can yield significant and sustainable improvements in public health. It requires a paradigm shift in drinking-water management for many countries.
The guidelines compel water suppliers to systematically assess the potential risk of contaminants to enter water, from the catchment to the consumer, take action based on their findings and document the process.
“Countries have an opportunity to make substantial public health progress by setting and applying effective and appropriate standards for ensuring safe water," said Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment.
"Shifting to a primary prevention approach is more effective, costs less and gives us the flexibility to deal with new pressures threatening water safety such as climate change, population growth and urbanization."
The guidelines are regarded globally as the most authoritative framework on drinking-water quality and often form the basis for national laws and regulations.
In addition to highlighting common challenges in providing safe and clean water, the guidelines map out new solutions.
For the first time, comprehensive good practice recommendations are provided for all levels, from household rainwater harvesting and safe storage through to policy advice on bulk water supply and the implications of climate change.
The new guidelines also include recommendations on: drinking-water safety, including minimum procedures, specific guideline values and how these should be used; microbial hazards, which continue to be the primary concern in both developing and developed countries; climate change, which results in changing water temperature and rainfall patterns, severe and prolonged drought or increased flooding and its implications for water quality and water scarcity, recognizing the importance of managing these impacts as part of water management strategies.
Also in the guidelines are chemical contaminants in drinking-water, including information on chemicals not considered previously such as pesticides used for disease vector control in stored drinking-water; key chemicals responsible for large-scale health effects through drinking-water exposure, including arsenic, fluoride and lead, and chemicals of public concern such as nitrate, selenium, uranium and disinfection-by-products.
-0- PANA DJ/BOS 4July2011
