Page 22 - GHES-2-1

Global Health Econ Sustain Global South: Healthier lives with UVC

the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and emphasizing the significance of universal access to
improved WASH (safe water, sanitation, and hygiene) conditions.

Keywords: Diarrhea; Disinfection; Economic impact; Global South; Ultraviolet C light-emitting diode technology; Waterborne
diseases

1. Introduction
Waterborne diseases pose a significant public health
challenge, particularly in the Global South. The Global
South refers to countries and regions located primarily
in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, where
socioeconomic and infrastructural factors contribute
to heightened vulnerability to waterborne diseases
(Jakovljevic et al., 2021). Figure 1 shows a map of the world,
indicating the Global South countries in red (Kingj123,
2007). The Global South comprises low-income economies
and low human development, with overall limited access Figure 1. Map of the world, indicating the Global South countries in
Red. The Global South is comprised of low-income economies and low
to education, healthcare, and basic human needs. These human development with overall limited access to education, healthcare,
countries also experience significant issues in accessing and basic human needs. These countries also experience significant issues
clean water and the heaviest burden of waterborne accessing clean water and experience the heaviest burden of waterborne
diseases. Limited access to clean water sources, inadequate diseases. Image reused with permission (Kingj123, 2007).
water treatment systems, and insufficient sanitation
infrastructure have contributed to the contamination of an increased incidence and severity of waterborne
water sources with microbial pathogens (Ashbolt, 2004). diseases, including diarrhea (UNICEF, 2022). Regrettably,
By 2025, an estimated three billion individuals will face conventional approaches such as using firewood to boil
water stress due to the scarcity of clean water, particularly water in low-income countries to combat waterborne
in the Global South, thus increasing the risk of disease diseases have drawbacks due to the generation of chemicals
transmission (Shayo et al., 2023). There are four disease such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are
transmission routes associated with water that contribute associated with conditions such as esophageal cancer
to poor public health outcomes (Ostadtaghizadeh (Bede-Ojimadu & Orisakwe, 2020; Mwachiro et al., 2021).
et al., 2022): Hence, there is a need for alternative water disinfection
(i) Waterborne diseases: These are caused by the ingestion strategies, such as ultraviolet C light-emitting diodes
of contaminated water containing pathogens, leading (UVC LEDs).
to illnesses such as diarrheal diseases, cholera, and This article provides a structured review of both the
typhoid. current states of waterborne disease, and UVC LED water
(ii) Water-washed diseases: These result from inadequate disinfection and then recommends an implementation
personal hygiene due to water scarcity or lack of clean framework for improving water distinction and public
water, leading to conditions such as scabies, trachoma, health outcomes. We explored the following:
and skin infections. (i) The prevalence, causes, and impacts of waterborne
(iii) Water-based diseases: These are caused by intermediate diseases in the Global South, emphasizing diarrheal
hosts that reside in water and carry pathogenic agents, diseases. We draw on a comprehensive review of
leading to diseases such as schistosomiasis. relevant studies and scholarly articles identified
(iv) Water-related vector-borne diseases: These diseases through an extensive search of the PubMed, Web of
are caused by vectors of communicable diseases Science, and WorldCat databases using keywords
that develop in or around the water, giving rise to such as “Global South,” “waterborne diseases,”
conditions such as malaria, yellow fever, and dengue “diarrhea,” and related terms. The selected articles
fever.
provide valuable insights into the prevalence, etiology,
Individuals living in the Global South are at a higher risk factors, and impacts of waterborne diseases,
risk of exposure to waterborne pathogens, leading to specifically focusing on diarrhea in the context of

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.1984