Bangladesh, 2007

• Transmission of water-borne pathogens increases during flood years.
• 70 thousand suffered from diarrhoea and acute dehydration.

  100 thousand hospital admissions.

  While 800 drowned in floods, more were killed by infection.
• Socio-economic factors aiding transmission

  Exceptionally high rural population density (exceeding 1000 persons/km squared)

  Inadequate sanitation.

  Displacement of 14 million people due to floods.

  40% of Bangladeshis survive on less than USD$1.25 a day.
• Water-borne diseases account for 1/4 of all deaths in Bangladesh.
• Climate change threatens more extreme flooding due to rapid melting of snow and ice in the Himalayas and rising sea levels.
• Environmental factors

  Low elevation of the delta

  High humidity

  Temperature

  Proximity of communities close to aquatic environments.
• 1/8 wells were contaminated by bacterial pathogens derived from sewage.
• UNICEF provided aid

  Essential drugs

  Saline solution

  Hundreds of mobile health teams
• Governmental aid


  Distributed food to poor families

  Distributed millions of water purification tablets
• Restoring water sources

  Long-term relief focused on restoring access to safe drinking water.

  Hundreds of new tube wells were drilled.

  93 thousand damaged wells repaired.