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Global Health Econ Sustain Global South: Healthier lives with UVC

Inadequate WASH conditions further exacerbate the
consumption of contaminated drinking water and impair
the functionality of health-care facilities, schools, and
community hygiene and sanitation practices (Hutton &
Chase, 2017). Health-care facilities rely heavily on clean
water for critical tasks such as wastewater treatment,
waste management, handwashing, aseptic procedures,
clinic disinfection, and providing safe drinking water
for staff and patients during medication administration
and hydration (WHO & United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), 2019). Without clean water, health-care
facilities are limited in what procedures and services can
be safely offered, leading to dangerous conditions or long
Figure 2. Aerial view of Kibera, Kenya’s largest informal settlement travel times for basic medical care (Centers for Disease
situated in the capital city of Nairobi. In this settlement, nearly 200,000 Control and Prevention, NCEZID, Division of Foodborne,
inhabitants grapple with access to any water, resulting in poor WASH Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, 2020).
conditions, rampant waterborne disease prevalence, and poor health Consumption of contaminated drinking water increases
outcomes. Image reused with permission (Dims, 2023).
the risk of waterborne pathogen transmission, leading to
various gastroenteric diseases that are often associated
conditions, rampant waterborne disease prevalence, and with diarrhea. In addition to consuming contaminated
poor health outcomes. Most of these residents earn less water, lack of access to clean water increases the use of
than $1.25 USD (113 Kenyan shillings) per day, leading in-home water boiling as a disinfectant. However, the
them to allocate up to one-third of their daily income to frequent use of wood fire in kitchens in sub-Saharan Africa
fulfill their water requirements, partly due to the influence was found to be associated with several adverse health
of water cartels/mafia (Migiro & Mis, 2014). outcomes, including high blood pressure, low birth weight,
esophageal cancer, sick building syndrome, non-syndromic
2.2.2. Impact on socioeconomic development cleft lip and palate, and higher under-five mortality (Bede-
Poor WASH accessibility often leads to the exploitation of Ojimadu & Orisakwe, 2020). In fact, esophageal cancer
residents in regions where organizations and governments cases are almost 13 times higher in places that rely on
are reluctant to provide clean water services (Adams et al., firewood for boiling water for purification (Bede-Ojimadu
2020). As of 2022, climate change and droughts were & Orisakwe, 2020).
also significantly reducing access to clean water, with From an economic perspective, there are considerable
16.2 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia living hikes in healthcare expenditures related to waterborne
without access to clean water and 40 million children in diseases and diminished capacity of healthcare workers
Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria living with and facilities to adequately treat those in need (Bloom
extreme water vulnerability (UNICEF, 2022). In regions et al., 2018). The current global burden of disease due to
without access to clean water, the transmission of preventable inadequate WASH conditions in LMICs is significant,
waterborne pathogens increases disproportionately although considerably incomplete, owing to poor reporting
compared to communities with more resources (Centers and monitoring. However, it is worth noting that the
for Disease Control and Prevention, NCEZID, Division limitations in accuracy are significantly underreported,
of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, indicating that the actual burden of disease related to WASH
2020). The Global South remains water-insecure despite conditions is likely substantially higher than anticipated
continued national and global interventions to address (Prüss-Ustün et al., 2019). In areas without access to clean
water security. The United Nations (UN) Sustainable natural water sources or decontamination processes,
Development Goals (SDG) highlight the urgency of people also experience a dramatic price gouging (50 –
addressing this global public health and socioeconomic 85% increase) on imported clean water (UNICEF, 2022).
development issue through Goal Six: Ensure access to In addition to the price increases in clean water imports,
water and sanitation for all (UN DESA, 2022a; 2022b). regional waterborne disease outbreaks can also negatively
Universal access to improved WASH conditions is a impact trade economies. Import or export embargoes and
lofty goal; however, its impacts on global public health, travel bans related to disease outbreaks can have lasting
socioeconomic development, and quality of life are impacts on local economies and result in dwindling regional
striking. investments (Bloom et al., 2018; Jakovljevic et al., 2021).

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 5 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.1984