THERE IS HIGH RISK FOR THE PEOPLE
OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE BECAUSE OF CONTAMINATED WATER
People
in Pakistan are at high risk of gastroenteritis, cholera, diarrhea, dysentery,
hepatitis A and B, typhoid, acute respiratory infection as well as Blue Baby
Syndrome, as safe drinking water is available
to only 15% people in the urban and 18% in rural areas.
The
quality of drinking water supply is poor, with bacterial contamination,
arsenic, fluoride and nitrate being the factors of major concern. The vast
majority of the population does not have access to safe drinking water due to
which incidence of water borne disease is
increasing rapidly.
High
population growth rate, urbanization, industrialization and new environmental
constraints are aggravating the problem.
It
has been estimated that water, sanitation and hygiene related disease cost
Pakistan’s economy about Rs. 112 billion per year in terms of health costs and
lost earning.
Situation
is even worse for the rural areas of the country where 88 percent of the
population lack access to safe drinking water.
While
the filtration plants installed in the capital are supplying highly unsafe
water contaminated mainly with microbial contamination.