BURDEN OF WATER-RELATED DISEASESIN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction. The quality of drinking water is a serious problem in developing countries, where half
the population is exposed to one or more diseases associated with water and sanitation.
The objective was a review of literature that deals with study of devastating burden of water-related
diseases in developing countries.
Methods. The publications of findings of both foreign and domestic researchers were analyzed.
Literature sources were searched in the PubMed, Scopus, GoogleScholar и eLibrary databases. Out of
166 literature sources, 77 were selected as the analytical material of the article. The depth of the search
was from 1972 to 2016.
Criteria for the inclusion of publications in this review are the following: publications in Russian and
English languages that are in open full-text access and bear statistically verified conclusions.
Exclusion criteria are as follows: summary reports, newspaper articles and personal messages.
Results. Review sources revealed that gastrointestinal diseases, intestinal helminth infestations and
protozoan infections as well as the risk of carcinogenic and mutagenic effects on the human body are to
a great extent attributed to poor-quality water consumption.
Conclusion. Based on the above, high-quality water supply exerts a considerable impact on
reduction of water-related diseases and rise in the living standards of population. A significant number
of cases can be prevented with a better access to safe water supply, adequate sanitation facilities and
better hygienic practices.