subject: Millions Die From Water Diseases [print this page] Every 20 seconds, a child in the world dies from a water-related disease. This statistic is disturbing. The leading cause of death in children worldwide is a disease known as diarrhea. Every year, it takes the lives of 1.4 million children. Of those children, 90 percent are less than five years of age and reside in a developing country.
These grim statistics show the gravity and seriousness of water diseases that plague millions of people all over the world. These diseases are often caused by micro-organisms and chemicals in the water that people drink. They are responsible for many diseases like schistosomiasis, malaria and legionellosis.
It's shocking to hear that water can cause many health problems, diseases and death. These contaminants quickly turn water into a killer. Our entire existence may be threated by the lack of drinkable water. According to the experts at the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 4.1 percent of the entire global burden of disease is caused by diarrheal disease. All of these issues are because of unsafe drinking water.
The WHO revealed that 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, which is why water-borne ailments are rampant. Malaria alone kills more than a million people yearly and the victims are mostly kids under five years. This disease causes at least 396.8 million serious cases yearly. Among adults, pregnant women are especially at risk. Owing to the fact that it is a big public health problem in tropical countries, malaria has affected the economic growth of African countries by 1.3 percent every year for the last 30 years.
In addition, approximately 246.7 million individuals worldwide are suffering from the disease schistosomiasis. Of those suffering, 20 million experience complications while 120 million have more mild symptoms. The WHO goes on to say that such diseases can be prevented with improved sanitation, better hygiene and clean water supplies.
