Water & Disease 1
Over a billion people in the world do not have access to safe water and over two billion lack adequate sanitation. As a result a child dies every 15 seconds from easily preventable diseases. This page outlines the most prevalent of these diseases. It explains what they are, how they are spread and how they can be prevented.
What causes diseases?
Diseases are caused by micro-organisms called pathogens. These can be divided into the following groups:
Viruses are very small and generally do not survive for long outside the human body. Among other diseases viruses cause infectious hepatitis and polio.
Bacteria need moisture, warmth, food and time to multiply and survive. Diseases they cause include cholera and typhoid.
Protozoa are single celled micro-organisms capable of some movement. They cause diseases including dysentery and giardiasis.
Helminths (parasitic worms) are large and do not survive for long outside a person's body. However they lay eggs, some of which are very good at surviving harsh conditions. Worms cause bilharzia, guinea worm and hookworm infections.

The main water and sanitation related diseases can be divided into three groups:
Diarrhoeal, Parasitic, Water washed
These can all be prevented through the work of Water Aid which provides clean water, effective sanitation and good hygiene.

Task 1: Vocabulary: Read and match the words on the left with their definitions.

A)    lack	L)    very, very small
B)    adequate	M)    living on another creature
C)    sanitation	N)    not have
D)    prevalent	O)    a form of water
E)    micro-	P)    having only one cell
F)    organisms	Q)    situation free from dirt and pathogens
G)    pathogen	R)    very common
H)    moisture	S)    a life-form
I)    single celled	T)    condition promoting clean, sanitary life
J)    parasitic	U)    enough
K)    hygiene	V)    something that causes a disease

Task 2: Fill in the chart below with these words
Protozoa, Helminths, Pathogens, Bacteria, Viruses



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