Water crisis may be factor in polio, dengue outbreaks – solon

Anakalusugan party-list Representative Michael Defensor hypothesized that the water crisis that plagued the country earlier this year may have been a factor in the outbreak of dengue and polio in certain areas of the country.

In a statement, Defensor explained that household sanitation and personal hygiene likely suffered due to the shortage of running water.

"We imagine the severe water supply interruptions between March to early August – mainly due to dams across the country drying up on account of the prolonged drought – played a part in the spread of diseases,” he said.

“The reality is, lack of water can force people, especially in disadvantaged communities, to defecate in the open – even in places where children may be playing."

The Department of Health on Thursday said polio was re-emerging in the Philippines 19 years after the country was declared free from the illness.

At least two polio cases were confirmed this year: a 3-year-old girl in Lanao Del Sur and a 5-year-old boy in Laguna.

Citing information from the World Health Organization, Defensor said an infected person who did not wash his or her hands properly or did not practice good hygiene was likely to pass the polio virus to another person.

Areas with poor water and sewage sanitation were likewise at high risk of experiencing a polio outbreak, he added.

Hoarded water

Meanwhile, the lack of running water also increased the chances of water-borne tropical diseases like dengue to spread.

“When people are forced to hoard water in their homes, the risk of household contamination also increases,” he said.

“Plus, improperly stored water can serve as a breeding ground of mosquitos that are potential carriers of dengue, malaria and other diseases,” he added.

In order to prevent the flare-up of these diseases, Defensor suggested that Metro Manila diversify its water resources.

"We cannot rely forever on Angat Dam to supply 90 percent of Metro Manila’s demand for water,” he said.

“We have to expand our sustainable water sources to include a mix of collected rainwater, recycled wastewater and if necessary, desalination,” he added. — Erwin Colcol/DVM, GMA News