4/14/26 Entry #7- Water-Caused Illness

Ending the documentary about water-borne illnesses had me wanting to learn more about them and their prevalence. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2022 that over 400 million people consumed water from unprotected and untreated water sources, like wells, lakes, rivers, etc. This is honestly very shocking to me. I understood that the issue of water access was far from over, but that number is much higher than I was imagining. 

Contaminated water can lead to diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, and polio. Polio has been eliminated for decades due to medical advances, like vaccinations, but it can be contracted in low-vaccination spots. In the US, there is less than 20 diagnosed cholera cases and under 400 diagnosed typhoid cases annually. Compared to developing countries, where there are between 1-4 million cases of cholera and 9-20 million cases of typhoid annually. This sharp contrast highlights how access to clean water and healthcare infrastructure directly influences health outcomes across the globe. From a public health perspective, it emphasizes the urgent need for continued investment in water and sanitation systems and health initiatives that work to reduce preventable disease. 


https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water#:~:text=Contaminated%20water%20and%20poor%20sanitation,and%20hygiene%20services%20are%20lacking.

https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/about/about-cholera-in-the-united-states.html

https://www.cdc.gov/typhoid-fever/php/surveillance/index.html

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