River Blindness Impacts Africa
Two of the looming causes of blindness impact Africa heavily; River Blindness (Onchocerciasis) and Trachoma. (Read about Trachoma in West Africa.)
River Blindness impacts approximately 18 million persons worldwide. A startling 99% of River Blindness cases occur in Africa. Heavily hit are the regions of West and Central Africa. Nigeria, with about 20% of sub-Saharan Africa's people, is especially hard hit by Oncho. Children often lose out on their education due to needs to care for blind or visually-impaired adult family members. Farmers tend to avoid those areas near water sources known to harbor the flies - even though these areas close to rivers are normally the more fertile, productive soils. Thus food production suffers.
The disease is carried by the bites of small black flies that breed in rapidly flowing rivers and streams. The Oncho-causing parasite enters through the flies' bites. It leads to irreversible blindness and other health issues if untreated.
Concerns are rising that a treatment resistant strain of the parasite is emerging which does not respond to the typically effective medication. Should this prove to be true, the potential for a future problem of even more significant proportions would emerge. Currently it is estimated that 125 million persons - beyond those already infected - are susceptible to infection.
AHM NewsSource-2008
Water Issues Drive Conflicts
According to the United Nations News Centre, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently spoke seriously about his view that water shortages actually drive conflicts around the world.
In early February, 2008, the Secretary General is said to have indicated his view that a number of current conflicts around the world are being impelled by water shortages and similar issues. He was speaking to the UN General Assembly in an informal session.
Mr. Ban's remarks echo what he said addressing the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, "...increasingly, fights are erupting over such basic human needs as water and arable land."
The Secretary General's comments seem to support the position that the world's water crisis is increasing in severity, with long term negative impact potential on the world economy and well-being issues for mankind.
AHM NewsSource-2008
Africa's Water Crisis and Disease
Writing and discussing the issue of unclean water and resulting sickness and disease usually encompasses four basic terms.
Water-washed disease is caused by a scarcity of water, making it impossible for people to wash themselves, their clothes and their homes in an adequate and consistent manner. Skin or eye contact with contaminated water can result in a range of problems. A sound preventative is adequate washing with uncontaminated water. Trachoma, Scabies, Leprosy and Yaws are examples of water-washed diseases.
Waterborne disease is the result of ingesting contaminated water, particularly water contaminated by human or animal waste. Unclean water used in cooking can create a range of food-borne disease as well. Among waterborne diseases are Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Amoebic and Bacillary dysentery and a wide range of diarrhea-type diseases.
Water-based disease is a disease spreading from water containing parasites living in contaminated water. Schistosomiasis, for example, can result from either drinking parasite-laced water or the water passing through the skin, via an open wound for example. The Guinea worm problem has been particularly prevalent in Africa. Ingested by drinking contaminated water, once the Guinea worm is in the human body, it eventually pierces the intestinal wall and grows up to 3 feet long. It is very painful, having to be manually removed very slowly.
Water-related insect disease is any disease spread by insects that breed and feed near dirty water. This category of disease is not directly related to scarce water or lack of sanitation. Yet they are, as the name implies, water related. Malaria and River Blindness fall in this category.
Read more on the various categories of water-related disease at http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/en/
AHM NewsSource-2008
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