Pure water: Water that is free from all materials and substances that may make it toxic to human life and unfit for consumption is termed as pure water. Innumerable deaths are caused every year due to lack of clean drinking water facilities in the country.

Common contaminants and their sources: The most common source of contaminated water is toxic matter from industries and factories, which is discarded into drinking water bodies. Leakages in sewer lines, septic tanks, raw sewage overflow and dumping of waste into water bodies is yet another reason of contamination.

Nitrates, toxic minerals, salts, micro-organisms like e.coli, giardia, helminthes and cryptosporidium are some common contaminates which claim many lives every year.

Another sad truth of the state of water safety in India is that despite the presence of advanced systems of water purification, many still fall prey to such illnesses. This is mostly because many a times, faults and improper functioning of the purification systems go unnoticed and ignored.

Health issues caused due to intake of contaminated water: A large percentage of deaths occurring today due to diarrhoea are mostly observed in children under the age of 5 years, and this is most commonly observed in developing countries. Improper sanitation is a major problem, and should be resolved at the earliest.

Intake of contaminated water can lead to several health problems, some of which are listed below:

Diarrhoea: Diarrhoea is one of the most common health issues that can occur as a result of drinking water contamination. Though diarrhoea is not a grave disease, if ignored, it can prove to be fatal. Vomiting, nausea, severe dehydration are all common symptoms of diarrhoea.

Typhoid: Caused due to the bacterium salmonella typhi, typhoid is yet another health issue that can occur after intake of contaminated water. Clinical and lab reports confirm the presence of typhoid bacteria, after which treatment measures should be taken immediately.

Chronic health conditions: Toxic minerals taken in through contaminated water though do not show their harmful effects immediately, but in the long run, they can build up and cause a huge, sometimes permanent damage to the body. Chronic health effects like liver and kidney damage, cancer, birth defects and permanent damage to the immune and nervous system can also occur due to contaminated water.

Acute health effects: High levels of contaminants can often cause severe health problems, almost immediately. Skin rashes, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and lung irritation are a few examples. 

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1. Chicken pox: Ever wonder where this condition got its name? Well, that’s because the boils resembled the peck marks of a chicken, and the disease was christened ‘chicken pox’.

Caused by: The Varicella zoster virus

Seen right at the onset of summers, chicken pox manifests as itchy red rash like spots or boils all over the body, usually in children. Spread by air-borne particles, the disease spreads when an already infected person sneezes or coughs. Another mode of transmission is if a caregiver touches the blisters or the fluid oozing out of it.

Symptoms: Some of the first symptoms are fever, headache and sore throat. After about a day or two a rash like blister appears in a localized part of the body which will later spread to the entire body. The boils or blisters burst after about 2 days and once they crust over, the patient can resume their daily activities. Until then, it is important that the he/ she is kept in complete isolation and given a good amount of rest. It takes about 10 days for the body to recover from the illness. On the bright side, once you suffer from chicken pox you will not contract the disease again due to the natural immunity the first attack confers on you.

Precaution: There is a vaccine available to protect yourself against this virus. Even so, some simple precautions like washing your hands thoroughly after visiting a common or crowded place and to isolate a person suffering from the disease to prevent its spread  can be exercised.

 2. Measles: Also called rubeola or morbilli, it is a common condition seen in the summers.

Caused by: The paramyxo virus, it infects the lining at the back of the throat. It is transmitted the same way as chicken pox.

Symptoms: Its initial symptoms are high fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat and red eyes. These symptoms later progress to what’s called a measles rash (rashes that look like small red spots), fever, cough, runny nose and tiny white spots within the mouth. The measles rashes usually appear 3-5 days after the initial symptoms and start around the hairline and face in most cases.

Precaution: The MMR vaccine (Measels, Mumps and Rubella) usually given to all children is highly efficient in preventing the disease from occurring.

3. Jaundice: Also called Hepatitis A, it is a water-borne disease caused mainly by contaminated water supplies and food cooked in unclean places.

Causes: Jaundice is spread by the Hepatitis A virus, which affects the liver causing over-production of bile.

Symptoms:  The initial symptoms of jaundice include yellow discoloration of the skin, mucous membranes and the whites of the eyes, light-colored stools, dark-colored urine and itching of the skin.

Precaution: A vaccine is available, but to protect yourself better, you should avoid eating food made in unhygienic places. Drink only filtered or double boiled water.

 4. Typhoid: Commonly known as typhoid fever, it is a water borne disease passed on through the oro-feacal route.

Caused by:  A bacteria called Salmonella typhi. Passed on by the oro-feacal route, the bacterium  is commonly found in unsanitary food or water sources.  

Symptoms: Its common symptoms include high fever, fatigue, weakness, pain in the abdomen, headache, loss of appetite, and sometimes a rash. Once treated a person can still carry the bacteria but not suffer from the disease. These people are called ‘carriers’ and often are the cause for further spread of the virus.

Prevention: There are two types of vaccines available to protect you against typhoid. One is a vaccine that uses the killed bacteria, and is injected into a person. The second is the attenuated or weakened bacterium that is administered in the form of medicine or a pill.

5. Mumps: Is an extremely contagious viral disease. It is known to occur mainly in children during  peak summer.  

Caused by: The mumps virus, it is transmitted when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

Symptoms:  One of the most common symptoms is the swelling up of the person’s salivary glands at the base of the neck. It typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, and is followed by swelling of salivary glands.

Precautions: The MMR vaccine (Measels, Mumps and rubella) can help protect you from contracting the disease.

Summer can be a beautiful time to spend with friends and family if you are healthy. All you need is awareness and a few precautions to enjoy the good times.

‘I am not aware about the incident. But I will get the water samples tested. As there is hardly any water left in the Yamuna, the dark water could be due to upstream release of pollutants, dyes or sewer into the river,’ B.B. Awasthi, regional officer, UP Pollution Control Board, told IANS. Jal Sansthan officials, however, said that although the supply water was dark in colour, it was ‘safe’ for consumption.

Rajiv Rathi, environment officer, Agra Municipal Corporation, said: ‘People are dumping everything into the Yamuna. What we are getting down here is all effluents. People dump waste into the river all the way from Delhi to Agra as if the river doesn’t belong to anybody.’ He added that no fresh water is released into the river downstream of Delhi. ‘The treatment plants that we have here are outdated. We need the advanced reverse osmosis-based technology,’ Rathi said.

B.B. Maheshwari, a leading physician of the city, said the incidences of typhoid have increased alarmingly, especially among the adults. ‘The disease had almost vanished from the city, but now it has returned with a vengeance,’ he said. 

For the past 10 days, the water supply in the city is not only inadequate in terms of quantity, but its quality is also unfit for human consumption, according to Susan Jaison, head of the chemistry lab at St John’s College here. The tests carried out by the lab have confirmed that on all major parameters the Yamuna water is not only unfit for humans but also potentially dangerous for the aquatic life.

The problem, according to Jal Sansthan officials, has increased because the fresh water supply to the river from the Harnal Escape on the Ganges canal has been stopped. Due to this, the water utilities department is using huge quantities of alum, chlorine and bleaching powder to clean the water, according to an official. 

‘The river is dead. It’s a huge sewage canal. How much can you treat and clean sewage to make it potable,’ said activist Anand Rai. 

‘They (the government) want big projects to attract tourists, but are not interested in solving the basic problems of the people,’ said Shravan Kumar Singh of Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society. 

Source: IANS

For the nearly three million people on the 2,500 islands on the Brahmaputra, amongst Asia’s largest rivers, the floating clinics are literally their lifeline. With hospitals a far cry and communication made even worse during floods, the unique initiative of boat clinics by the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (CNES) is a ray of hope for the most vulnerable communities of Assam living on the ‘saporis’ or islands of the Brahmaputra. The journey of these ‘ships of hope’, as they are popularly known, began in 2005, with a single boat called Akha (or hope) in Dibrugarh district of upper Assam. The initiative got the support of the district health authorities.

The successful intervention in reaching out to the marginalised, rural communities got the attention and support of Unicef and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Assam, resulting in a public-private partnership (PPP) and the subsequent spread of the boat clinic programme to 13 districts of the state with 15 boats. “We need innovative but simple approaches based on the knowledge of those who know best, the river dwellers and the host makers, because they can understand the river better than anyone else,” said CNES founder Sanjoy Hazarika, who designed, developed and implemented the boat clinics before establishing the partnership with the NRHM. 

“That’s how the boat clinics starte . By listening to people’s concerns, tapping their expertise, applying better technology and later, a partnership with the principal stakeholder. From small beginnings to an extraordinarily large impact in 13 districts, reaching over eight lakh persons in the flood plains of the Brahmaputra,” he added. In Baleswar, the tiny island near Nalbari, 70 km from Guwahati, Amina Begum recounted her experience at the boat clinic, as she waited in a queue to see the doctor in the health camp. “Initially, there was some hesitation. The elders in the village felt that this was a temporary arrangement and there was no need to show excitement, since they will not return a second time. Moreover,there were reservations in getting the women checked by male doctors,” Begum, who is pregnant with her second child, told IANS.

“But when we saw the dedication of the doctors and nurses, got the medicines for immediate treatment, and saw them return time and again, we knew that they really cared for us. Now we wait for the clinic eagerly,” she added. “The boat clinic is a blessing for us,” added Sakina, another patient with a skin infection. “Going to the hospital is not easy from here. We have to pay and take a boat trip to the mainland. It becomes difficult for the elderly, the pregnant women to go, especially when the weather is harsh.”

While its special focus is on women and children, and clinic visits are timed in accordance with the immunisation schedule, its ultimate aim is to take sustained healthcare to islands. Bedanta Sarma and Minhazuddin Ahmed, the two young doctors in the team of 16 members including auxilliary nurse midwives (ANMs), laboratory technician and others in this district, said their job satisfaction was unparalleled. “It’s not just about treatment. We also shoulder the responsibility of educating and making the people aware, fighting superstitions,and finally, offering hope. Both of us (doctors) have returned to this job after having left it, and are here for nearly three years now,” Ahmed told IANS.

Early marriage and family planning are two issues that the team has been educating the masses about. The boat clinics also have laboratories where blood tests can be done and pharmacies which give free medicines as prescribed by the doctor. While the work has been effective, it is nevertheless very challenging for the health teams as sometimes at the risk of their own health and safety, Hazarika pointed out.

“For instance, the water level has to be at least three to four feet deep for the motorboat to move and there have been times when boats have got stuck in one of the river’s channels and the team has had to go on foot for as much as 10 km to the villages,” Dipankar Das, chief executive officer of CNES, told IANS. “In monsoons, the floods again wreak havoc. Just last month, one of our boats with 12 team members had to be rescued by Indian Air Force helicopters, as they got stranded in the swelled up river while going on a mission,” he added. But come what may, these boats of hope continue to bring respite to the marginalised.

“For instance, the water level has to be at least three to four feet deep for the motorboat to move and there have been times when boats have got stuck in one of the river’s channels and the team has had to go on foot for as much as 10 km to the villages,” Dipankar Das, chief executive officer of CNES, told IANS. ”In monsoons, the floods again wreak havoc. Just last month, one of our boats with 12 team members had to be rescued by Indian Air Force helicopters, as they got stranded in the swelled up river while going on a mission,” he added. But come what may, these boats of hope continue to bring respite to the marginalised.

Source: IANS

1.     Common cold, cough and viral fever:

One of the biggest causes of major absenteeism in the monsoons – the common cold – is common due to the fact that viruses thrive better in humid conditions. Staying in wet clothes for a long time, prolonged exposure to the humid air from the air-conditioners can increase your chances of catching a cold. 

So, don’t stay wet for long. Keep a pair of fresh clothes in your office locker. Turn down the ACs and open the windows.

Being viral in origin, the common cold spreads really  fast through contact. So, remember to wash your hands often. Prevent contact with people who have the cold as much as possible.

Boost your immunity by eating fresh fruits and veggies. Keep yourself well hydrated with fresh juice, soups, green tea and lukewarm water.

2. Malaria:

One of the common and deadly diseases caused by certain species of mosquitoes breeding in the dirty water in the monsoons, Malaria is characterized by fever, body ache, chills and sweating.  If untreated, it can lead to severe complications like jaundice, severe anemia, liver and kidney failure.

To prevent the disease,

• Make sure that there is no stagnant water in your neighbourhood. These act as ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• If you store water in the house due to its shortage, close the container.
• Use mosquito screens, nets, fibre glass meshes or magnetic insect repellent screens for your windows if you live in a mosquito-infested area.
• If possible, avoid going out immediately after dusk. If you need to, wear clothes that cover your body well. Cover the exposed parts with a mosquito repellent.
• Indoor residual spraying with an insecticide is also recommended.
• Insecticide treated bed nets should be used in areas where mosquitos and malaria are rampant.
• If travelling to a malaria-endemic area, consult your doctor and discuss chemoprophylaxis before you travel..

3. Typhoid:

Prolonged fever lasting for more than five days, headache and abdominal pain followed by a rash in the second week might be indicative of typhoid. This disease is mostly spread via contaminated food and water. 

If you want to avoid typhoid, avoid eating outside food as much as possible. Stick to homemade food and boiled water. If you live in an area where typhoid is very common, get yourself vaccinated against it.

4. Hepatitis A (commonly called jaundice):

A viral disease spread through contaminated food and water, Hepatitis A is characterized by symptoms similar to the flu – an increase in body temperature with body ache, joint pains followed by loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. This may be followed by a yellowish tinge in the eyes, skin and nails. Within a week, you might notice dark-coloured urine.

Again, eating homemade food and clean water can prevent most cases of hepatitis A. These days, vaccinations to prevent the disease are also available.

5. Leptospirosis:

A bacterial disease spread by rats, it is mostly caused by contaminated food or by wading in dirty water, especially if you have injuries on the skin.

High fever and chills with severe headaches and bodyache, followed by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain characterize the disease.  

You can prevent Leptospirosis by not exposing your feet to dirty, stagnant rainwater. If you have any injuries, cover them well.

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Our body has a natural immunity

We have miracle-fighters called antibodies which recognize anything that is ‘foreign’ to our body and destroy it. What’s even more awesome is how the immune system then ‘remembers’ these enemies and destroys them  everytime they attack, thus conferring what is called ‘immunity’ to the particular disease. The baby’s immunity is further enhanced by the mother’s breast milk in the first 4-6 months of life.

Then why give vaccines?

Giving vaccines for different diseases confers what is called ‘acquired immunity’ to the disease in the way described above. Some of the diseases like polio, TB, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Measles, Hepatitis B which can be deadly in children can be prevented with vaccines.

In public health practice, vaccination is given to confer community protection so that even unimmunized children will have a reduced risk of getting the disease. This is called as the ‘herd effect’ of immunization. 

What vaccines are available and what diseases are they effective against?

Vaccines recommended by the Government and available at Government hospitals at reduced costs include:

• BCG vaccine (mandatory) – Given as an intradermal injection soon after birth; prevents TB. Can cause a raised area at the site of the injection, do not apply any medicine to the site.
• OPV vaccine (mandatory) – Given orally as several doses till the age of five, this prevents polio. Poliomyelitis is a disease which affects the nerves causing muscle weakness and paralysis. It is given free of cost to all children below five years of age under the Pulse Polio programme.

• DPT vaccine (mandatory) – Given as an intradermal injection, it prevents three diseases (Diphtheria, Pertrussis and Tetanus).
  a. Diphtheria is an infection which starts with a ‘sore throat’ but can rapidly lead to formation of toxins (poisons) causing life-threatening complications.
  b. Pertrussis (whooping cough) affects the lungs in children below 15 months of age. Starting with cold and cough, it progresses to episodes of coughs with a ‘whoop’. Complications include pneumonia, brain damage and death.
  c. Tetanus starts when a wound is infected with bacteria found in soil, it affects the body’s muscles and nerves. The toxin produced by the bacteria causes muscle spasms, interferes with nerves and can be fatal.

• Measles vaccine (mandatory)– The vaccine is given subcutaneously (just below the skin) as the baby completes nine months. A very contagious viral infection, measles starts as cold and cough with rashes progressing from the hairline downwards. It can progress to diarrhoea, pneumonia, infection of the brain leading to death, if untreated.

The immunization schedule as per the Universal Immunization Programme in India:

Other optional vaccines recommended for your child

Things to remember during your child’s vaccination

In this post, we discuss the other vaccines recommended by the Indian Academy of Pediatricians. Discuss with the doctor about the pros and cons of each one and then decide to go ahead with them :

• MMR vaccine – The vaccine confers protections against mumps, measles and rubella. There is some controversy surrounding this vaccine linking it to autism and inflammatory bowel disease. However, a study by the WHO has concluded that there is no evidence linking the vaccine to these conditions. The child may have slight fever and rash seven to ten days after the injection.
• Hepatitis B vaccine – Added to the Universal Immunization programme in India more recently (2002), the vaccine confers immunity against Hepatitis B. Hepatitis is a viral infection affecting the liver leading to jaundice and other complications in the liver. At birth, if the mother is positive for hepatitis B, the baby needs to be vaccinated within 12 hours of birth.
• HPV vaccine – for preventing cervical cancers; can be given to girls at 10 years of age. However, there has been a debate in recent times regarding usage of the same. Consult your paediatrician; find the pros and cons of the vaccine.
• HiB vaccine – for preventing meningitis (infection in the brain) caused due to Hemophilus B influenza virus.
• Typhoid vaccine – for preventing the bacterial infection called typhoid spread through food or drink contaminated by urine or faeces of an infected person. Starting with fever, headache, diarrhoea or constipation, rose spots on the chest, it can lead to an enlarged spleen and liver.

Other optional vaccines:

• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine – for preventing pneumococcal meningitis (affecting the brain of children) or pneumonia. Since the cost of the vaccine is quite high (single dose costs as much as Rs.4000), most parents do not opt for this vaccine.
• IPV (Inactivated polio vaccine) – Given as an injection, this is the inactivated form of the virus (unlike the oral one which has live attenuated virus). It confers nasal and throat immunity to the virus.
• Rotavirus vaccine – Recommended by the WHO, it prevents rotavirus infection which causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration in children.
• Influenza vaccine – prevents flu or infection of the respiratory system. The vaccine holds good for a period of one year only as the constitution of the vaccine is changed every year as per the kind of flu virus prevalent at that time.