Bangladesh Faces Diarrhea Outbreaks Due to Rising Temperatures, Power Outages
OpenForum | May 27, 2009 | 0 Comments
Severe heat waves and power cuts are exacerbating the already endemic problem of diarrheal diseases in Bangladesh. The number of patients seeking treatment for diarrhea in the months of March and April has nearly doubled from this time last year, according to the International Center for Diarrhoael Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) where 42,000 patients have been treated in two months. Meteorological Office director Sujit Deb Sharma told the BBC that the temperature in Dhaka on Monday April 27 was 39.6C, the highest in the city for 35 years. The rising temperatures have led to a shortage of clean drinking water, made worse by the fact that power cuts of 8-12 hours a day have affected water pumps. While 80% of the population has access to improved drinking water sources in normal conditions, only about one third of the rural population and one half of urban residents have sustainable access to improved sanitation, reported WHO in 2006. Dhaka’s poorest populations are left to drink from sources of water contaminated with E. coli and rotavirus, including cheap sherbet drinks made from contaminated water.
The yearly occurrence of this type of diarrhea outbreak points to underlying problems with the water and sanitation infrastructure in the country. UNICEF has implemented programs to encourage the construction of sanitary latrines, to raise the very low percentage (36%) of individuals who have access to them. UNICEF and the government have also cooperated to install more than 20,000 safe water points within communities. More efforts of this type, along with programs to promote awareness about hygiene and water safety are necessary to mitigate or even prevent outbreaks of this magnitude in the future.
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