Water Sanitation and Health (WSH)

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.