Water and Waterborne Diseases: A Review

Despite numerous efforts by government at various levels and other agencies interested in water and
its safety, waterborne diseases are still a major public health and environmental concern. The huge
investment towards water research, although worth the spending, has not yielded the much expected
result as waterborne diseases continue to plague developing countries with Africa and Asia having the
worse hit. The unavailability of pipe-borne water and the dependence of rural dwellers on surface
waters which are often contaminated with faecal materials are undoubtedly the major causes of the
rising prevalence of waterborne diseases. Water availability and poor hygienic practices amongst
these rural dwellers are also of paramount concern as they play significant roles in the spread of
water-washed diseases. Also, poor environmental practice which encourages the breeding of insects
and other forms of vectors within residential areas contribute to the increasing prevalence of
waterborne diseases. This review focuses on waterborne diseases, its classification and the various
methods employed in the bacteriological analysis of water.