Children prone to waterborne diseases

KEABETSWE NEWEL
Correspondent | Wednesday January 26, 2011 00:00

Young children derive pleasure in playing in and around stagnant pools of water and parents have been warned to keep them away from such places to avoid diseases such as malaria, cholera and bilharzia.

'Swimming in rivers and even playing around in muddy contaminated water must be avoided at all costs. Parents need to always keep their children from such water as it may be dangerous to their health,' said Dr Paul Nashara, public health specialist at the Francistown City Council. Dr Nashara said that in the previous year, the country experienced high numbers of Bilharzia in children because they were playing in contaminated water.He said that most people urinating in water accelerate the spread of bilharzia.

'Some people urinate in these waters that are everywhere, waters contain snails which would then mature into worms, which may pierce the skin of kids playing or swimming in the water,' Dr Nashara said. He said that the children are infected when their blood is sucked resulting in blockage of blood vessels resulting in vomiting of blood. This also affects the liver.

'In this rain water on the ground, there are also flukes, these worms are also dangerous to people who play in contaminated water.  It pierces through the skin and will suck blood once in the skin, resulting in the heart being unable to pump blood efficiently since there will not be enough blood,' he explained. Dr Nashara said that not only does this affect young children but even elderly people. He advised people not to store water overnight as it may be contaminated by insects and cause diarrhoea. People must also avoid drinking water from rivers, unless it is boiled because it carries with it many infections. Further he said that people should look out for malaria and do whatever it takes to control mosquitoes, which spread malaria.