European water treaty hailed as a milestone for public health
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《英国医生杂志》
A treaty on water and health designed to reduce water related deaths and diseases in Europe entered into force this week. "It is the world抯 first legally binding treaty to prevent, control and reduce water related diseases," said Marc Danzon, the World Health Organization regional director for Europe. "This treaty gives countries an effective mechanism for curbing the harm caused by unsafe water and unsafe sanitation."
Lack of safe drinking water and poor sanitation threatens the health of millions of people in the European region, says WHO, which sponsored the treaty with the United Nations?Economic Commission for Europe. Nevertheless, most of the region抯 877 million people who live in countries from Ireland and the UK to Georgia, the Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, take clean water for granted, although too many lack a regular supply. For example:
Almost 140 million people in Europe (16%) do not have a household connection to drinking water
Five million people (10%) do not have improved sanitation (connection to a public sewer, connection to a septic system, pour flush latrine, simple pit latrine, or ventilated improved pit latrine)
More than 41 million people (5%) lack access to a safe drinking water supply.
"Nowhere else in the world is the difference between poor and wealthy countries?access to safe water and sanitation as great as in the European region," said Dr Danzon.
Many of the countries that lack safe drinking water or adequate sewage fall into the countries categorised as the European B and C zones. These include Albania, Slovakia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Ukraine
The treaty gives priority for action on water related diseases of microbiological origin, such as cholera, dysentery, enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, typhoid and paratyphoid, and viral hepatitis A. The 16 countries that have so far ratified the treaty will review their systems for disease surveillance and outbreak detection and will implement the most appropriate measures to reduce disease including vaccination or water treatment.
Chemical contaminants of drinking water and related diseases are also under review to identify those requiring urgent action. Some of the diseases caused by nitrate, lead, and arsenic in water include "blue baby syndrome," diseases of the nervous system, and skin diseases.
This part of the treaty helps to achieve two millennium development goals that include improving the water supply and sanitation and reducing child mortality. The incidence of infectious diseases caused by poor quality drinking water is often highest in children of 6 to 11 months. In WHO抯 European region this risk factor causes more than 13 000 deaths from diarrhoea among children aged 0 to 14 years (5.3% of all deaths in this age group) every year.
The treaty also protects the region抯 water resources, many of which cross boundaries. Some countries depend on their neighbours for 50% to 90% of their water, so international cooperation is crucial to ensure the sustainable use of such resources.
Protection of recreational waters—coastal environment, lakes, rivers, spas, beaches, and pools—also comes under the new treaty. Nine countries, among them the United Kingdom, Spain and Sweden, have not ratified the treaty or started the ratification procedure.(Geneva Paul Ress)
Lack of safe drinking water and poor sanitation threatens the health of millions of people in the European region, says WHO, which sponsored the treaty with the United Nations?Economic Commission for Europe. Nevertheless, most of the region抯 877 million people who live in countries from Ireland and the UK to Georgia, the Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, take clean water for granted, although too many lack a regular supply. For example:
Almost 140 million people in Europe (16%) do not have a household connection to drinking water
Five million people (10%) do not have improved sanitation (connection to a public sewer, connection to a septic system, pour flush latrine, simple pit latrine, or ventilated improved pit latrine)
More than 41 million people (5%) lack access to a safe drinking water supply.
"Nowhere else in the world is the difference between poor and wealthy countries?access to safe water and sanitation as great as in the European region," said Dr Danzon.
Many of the countries that lack safe drinking water or adequate sewage fall into the countries categorised as the European B and C zones. These include Albania, Slovakia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Ukraine
The treaty gives priority for action on water related diseases of microbiological origin, such as cholera, dysentery, enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, typhoid and paratyphoid, and viral hepatitis A. The 16 countries that have so far ratified the treaty will review their systems for disease surveillance and outbreak detection and will implement the most appropriate measures to reduce disease including vaccination or water treatment.
Chemical contaminants of drinking water and related diseases are also under review to identify those requiring urgent action. Some of the diseases caused by nitrate, lead, and arsenic in water include "blue baby syndrome," diseases of the nervous system, and skin diseases.
This part of the treaty helps to achieve two millennium development goals that include improving the water supply and sanitation and reducing child mortality. The incidence of infectious diseases caused by poor quality drinking water is often highest in children of 6 to 11 months. In WHO抯 European region this risk factor causes more than 13 000 deaths from diarrhoea among children aged 0 to 14 years (5.3% of all deaths in this age group) every year.
The treaty also protects the region抯 water resources, many of which cross boundaries. Some countries depend on their neighbours for 50% to 90% of their water, so international cooperation is crucial to ensure the sustainable use of such resources.
Protection of recreational waters—coastal environment, lakes, rivers, spas, beaches, and pools—also comes under the new treaty. Nine countries, among them the United Kingdom, Spain and Sweden, have not ratified the treaty or started the ratification procedure.(Geneva Paul Ress)