India is home to around eighteen percent of the global population — with numbers set to increase in the coming years. Despite such a vast population, India only has access to around four percent of global freshwater resources. Meanwhile, India’s per capita water availability is on the decline, presenting the very real possibility of a […]
Cholera
Cholera outbreak in Bengaluru?
A potential cholera outbreak has been reported in Bengaluru as hospitals in the Karnataka state capital have witnessed a spate of suspected cases in the last week. Seventeen people are suspected to be infected with the water-borne diarrhoeal disease, with two cases confirmed. As reported in The Hindu, the seventeen suspected and confirmed cases are […]
“Water Aunties”: A boon to rural India?
Water in India’s rural locations is often a risky business. Could “water aunties” be a solution? In areas where sewage systems are either non-existent, dysfunctional or in a state of disrepair, open defecation is still common. Water is often sourced from groundwater supplies and contamination is simply a fact of life. Outbreaks of diseases such […]
High risk of water-borne diseases following the monsoon
Water-borne diseases such as cholera are a scourge to India all year round. The monsoon season, however, creates a greater degree of vulnerability due to the extent to which water sources are contaminated. Only forty percent of India’s toilet waste is properly treated upon disposal. This fact alone is perhaps the most concerning driver […]
Sanitation economy set to boom, will cholera be eradicated?
The sanitation economy of India is set to double thanks to Swachh Bharat claimed Jin Montesano, chief public affairs officer, LIXIL Group at the 18th World Toilet Summit. “Swachh Bharat Mission has generated significant interest in addressing the urgent sanitation issue in India, not only with traditional actors such as international organizations, but also with […]
Kerala: Disease outbreak threat looms as relief work continues
The Union health ministry has pledged its support for those hit by savage floods in Kerala, as fears of disease outbreaks loom. Kerala is battling one of the worst calamities in its history with nature’s fury leaving over 400 dead and lakhs homeless. The effect has also spread over to the neighbouring states of Karnataka […]
Diarrhoea is the most common infectious outbreak in India
Diarrhoeal disease is commonplace and often lethal in the developing world low and middle countries (LMICs). Diarrhoea is identified as the second most common cause of death in children under five by the World Health Organization, with 1.7 billion cases and 520,000 deaths every year. In India, acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD) is the most […]
Odisha sees outbreak of cholera
Cholera cases have been detected among a number of villages in rural Odisha. More than fifty people were affected with diarrhoea in the Polasara area of Odisha’s Ganjam district. Such a high prevalence of diarrhoea cases in a small amount of time alerted local authorities to the potential for cholera within the area. Two […]