login
Become a member
Quick Registration
Full Registration Benefits -
Free Homepages for Doctors
Free Homepages for Hospitals
Free Homepages for Medical Conference
Free Homepages for NGO's
Personal Health Record Creation
Access to all Medical Slides
Access to all Jobs & Products Sale
World Water Day 'Water and Sanitation for Life'
March 21, 2008 at 1:19 PM
Health In Focus
World Water Day falls on March 22nd every year. The theme this year is 'Water and Sanitation for Life'. It is also a time when the world takes stock of the looming water crisis, and confronts the 'watershed' issue- 'Is the world running out of water'?
As we grapple with matters pertaining to water, it brings us to the subject of water contamination. It is common knowledge that diarrhea, one of the greatest illnesses plaguing the teeming millions worldwide, causing many million deaths annually, is caused by poor sanitation and consumption of contaminated water.
According to Jon Lane, Executive Director- Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, 'Every 20 minutes we spend sitting in our offices, organizing meetings, passing resolutions and discussing policies, a child dies as a direct result of poor sanitation.'
This mammoth problem can be prevented only if the sanitation ills in the world are solved. It is for this reason that the year 2008 has been declared as the International year of Sanitation and forms the theme for the World Water Day, 2008.
Amidst all the economic development and technological advances, it is a day that reminds us of the scores of women in different parts of the world, who tread great lengths, and spend many hours each day to collect water. The magnitude of the problem is palpable in the poignant documentary, 'One water', which is a realistic depiction of the impending water crisis threatening to consume the planet. Experts see it coming, that the greatest wars in the future will be over this precious, life sustaining resource Water!
Seven Murky statistics About Water
Safe drinking water, which forms the basis of life, is not available to about one billion people worldwide.
A child loses its life every 15 seconds due to water - related diseases.
1.8 million in a year die due to diarrhea.
88 percent of all diseases in the world is due to poor sanitation.
2.6 billion people court disease due to abysmal sanitation.
According to the WHO, 50% of the hospitalizations worldwide are due to water- related diseases.
Poor sanitation is recognized as the greatest enemy, unleashing a trail of destruction worse than any war.
Objectives of World Water Day:
'The coming 12 months provides us with a platform to prioritize sanitation on the international community's agenda.' -UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon
The World Water Day initiatives will seek to iron out the challenges for access to safe water and proper sanitation on a world-wide basis. This is proposed to be carried out by the following measures:
1. Ensuring that the world's poorest have access to the basic amenities of safe water and sanitation.
2. Implementing strategies on water conservation and re-use
3. Developing of sustainable and economically viable water and sanitation facilities worldwide.
4. Focusing on issues pertaining to school sanitation.
Gaping Hole
Water and sanitation are two sides of the same coin, and are indispensable for national health.
|
|
|
 Comment & Contribute
|
|
guest
03/21/2008
Avoid water from contamination, Save it and make it avilable for every one.
Reply |
Forward
|
Medwonders Health Network
- Health News Index
- News Quick Links
 | News Central | | Health Watch | |
| Latest Health News | | Health In Focus | |
| News Category (500+) | | Breaking Health News | |
| Popular News | | Celebrating Life | |
| Health News and Press Release | | Medindia - Exclusive | |
| News Photo Gallery | | India Special | |
| News Video Gallery | | Lifestyle and Wellness | |
| News From Other Resources | |||
| News Categories: |
| » | Scientists See Potential in New Leukemia Treatment |
| » | Cardio-Pulmonary Function can be a Strong Indicator for Survival Chances of Breast Cancer Patients |
| » | Post Surgery Will the Tumour Return? New Breast Cancer Test to Predict Exactly |
| » | Scientists Develop Compound That Triggers Cancer Cell Death |
| » | Iraqi National Hopes to Find Affordable Treatment for His Cancer in India |
| More Cancer News | |
|
Health In Focus News |
||||||||
| » | Eating Cheese During Pregnancy may Reduce Tooth Decay Risk in the Child: Study | » | Surgical Treatments of Male Stress Urinary Incontinence | |||||
| » | Bullied Early Adolescents are Prone to Self Harm: BMJ Study | » | Novel Artificial Devices in the Treatment of Male Urinary Incontinence | |||||
| » | Chances of Birth Defects With Assisted Reproductive Technologies | » | Antioxidant Food Database | |||||
| » | Hypnosis Can Help Ease Pain | » | Lenalidomide-based Regimens for Multiple Myeloma | |||||
| Read More >> | ||||||||
