Bonn: Millions of people in the WHO European Region drink contaminated water, often without knowing it. According to WHO estimates, everyday 14 people die of diarrhoeal disease due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
Clean and safe drinking water at home is frequently unavailable, particularly for those living in rural areas, a WHO statement here on Wednesday said.
In the region, 57 million people do not have piped water at home, and 21 million people still lack access to basic drinking water services.
These people use water from unprotected dug wells and springs, directly consume surface water, or need more than 30 minutes to collect water. About three quarters of people without access to basic drinking water services live in rural areas.
WHO sets global health-based guidelines for drinking water quality. The water safety plan (WSP) approach is a core pillar of these guidelines. WHO considers WSPs to be the most effective means of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking water supply, said the statement.
WHO/Europe, through the European Centre for Environment and Health (ECEH) in Bonn, Germany, works with countries to implement the guidelines, it added.
ECEH supports countries to survey and assess their drinking water supplies, and prioritise what needs to be done to improve water quality and access to safe services. The outcomes of these activities become part of national policies and measures, leading to the adoption of WSP approach.
Recent WHO projects in Serbia and Tajikistan have highlighted the challenges people living in rural areas face in accessing safe drinking water. In Tajikistan, for example, 32 per cent of the rural population does not have access to basic drinking water services.
On the issue of water safety, one third of rural water systems inspected in Serbia did not meet standards for microbiological drinking-water quality, and more than 60 per cent were exposed to possible contamination from latrines, sewers, animal breeding, cultivation, roads, industry, rubbish and other sources of pollution placed nearby.
'The national-level assessment of small-scale water supplies in rural areas has created a strong foundation for identifying key threats to public health from drinking-water,' said Dr Ferenc Vicko, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health of Serbia.
'The outcomes of the assessment also provided strong health arguments for making WHO-recommended water safety plans mandatory, developing action plans and raising public awareness,' it added. (UNI)