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On the authority of Sa'd ibn Ubadah, the messenger of Allah (SAWS) said:
' The Best Sadaqa is water '
Water-related diseases kill over 5 million people every
year, mainly children. Around 60% of infant deaths in developing
countries are linked to water-related diseases.
There are four main types of disease:
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Water-borne diseases
are caused by water contaminated by human, animal or
chemical waste.
They include cholera, typhoid, shigella, polio, meningitis,
hepatitis A and E and diarrhoea, among
others. Most of these 'dirty water' diseases can be
prevented if water is treated before use.
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Water-based diseases
are caused by organisms that spend part of their lives
in the water, and
then part as parasites that infect humans. The diseases
include guinea worm, paragonimiasis,
clonorchiasis and schistosomiasis. These parasites
can lead to malnutrition, anaemia and
retarded growth, depending upon the severity of the
infection.
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Water-related vector
diseases are caused by mosquitoes and flies which
live or breed around
water. Diseases spread by these insects include
malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, sleeping
sickness and filariasis. Malaria is endemic in 100
developing countries, putting some 2 billion
people at risk.
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Water-scarce diseases
are transmitted in places where water is too scarce
to allow for proper
sanitation and hygiene. They include trachoma and
TB. Trachoma is responsible for blinding
six million people worldwide.
(Source: People & the
Planet www.peopleandplanet.net)
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