Clean Water as a Source Reduction for Cholera: A Review of African Experience
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Date
2017-07
Journal Title
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Publisher
SMU Medical Journal
Abstract
Uncontaminated water source is directly connected to improved sanitation and personal hygiene which is the key indicator responsible for the reduction of water related diseases globally. In the last four decades, statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Observatory (GHO) report showed that over 3.5 million cases of cholera were recorded in Africa with close to 400,000 cases recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo alone within the same period. This calls for concerted effort with less chances of re-occurrence necessitating this study which seeks to assess the importance of accessible clean water as a source reduction for cholera epidemic outbreak and re-occurrence in epidemic areas. The major parameters assessed include the causes, symptoms diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of cholera with emphasis on an engineering-based solution. The outcome of the study shows that cholera epidemic can be minimized and possibly eradicated by creating a sustainable platform for providing clean water for all. Improvements in water quality accompanied by other environmental interventions with education could prevent and reduce re-occurrence of faecal-oral transmission of cholera
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Keywords
Clean water, Surface water, Ground water, Personal hygiene, Sanitation