Water Sanitation Health

Water-related diseases

Water, sanitation and hygiene have important impacts on both health and disease.

Water-related diseases include:

  • those due to micro-organisms and chemicals in water people drink;
  • diseases like schistosomiasis which have part of their lifecycle in water;
  • diseases like malaria with water-related vectors;
  • drowning and some injuries;
  • and others such as legionellosis carried by aerosols containing certain micro-organisms.

Water also contributes to health, for example through hygiene.

More information on water-related diseases

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