Indian Medical Association Launches Water-Borne Disease Awareness Drive In New Delhi

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) launched a drive to spread public awareness about water-borne diseases.

Titled Swachh Bharat Swasth Bharat, the campaign has been launched in association with water purifier brand Kent RO.

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Under the awareness drive, volunteers of the two organizations will visit rural areas of the country and make people aware about safe drinking water besides educating them about how this can help in preventing water-borne diseases.

"Though it is the primary duty of the states to provide clean and safe drinking water to the people, yet 300,000 children in India die due to diarrhea every year before the age of three," said K.K. Aggarwal, honorary secretary general of IMA. These deaths could be very easily prevented by the elimination of unsafe drinking water.

According to the World Health Organization, water-borne diseases account for around 4.1% of the total global diseases burden causing 1.8 million deaths annually. Of the total, 8.8% is attributed to unsafe water supply and bad sanitation and hygiene.

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Ensuring quality drinking water requires a holistic approach, including water security and concrete steps to prevent industrial pollution, argues a public health activist based in southern India.

On this occasion the IMA announced it would adopt a model slum area in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) where a community RO plant will be placed for six months to study its impact on the reduction of water-borne diseases.

Source-Medindia

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