News

Angola deserves access to clean water!

44% of the Angolan population lacks access to clean and running water even though Luanda, its capital, is surrounded by water. UN has joined forces with the Angolan government to achieve its sustainable development goal of accessing clean water to improve health and curbing poverty in the African nations. Many people in Angola have died due to water-borne diseases since clean, piped water is expensive making the residents depend on unsafe water. Imagine having ten taps in your area and failing to get water for over two weeks! This is the situation in Luanda and it makes people buy water from private trucks or travel up to 10 km to get water.

Philanthropic organizations want to see that everyone gets access to clean drinking water and improved sanitation facilities. Children’s education has been highly disrupted due to the ongoing drought. These organizations aim to:

  • Stop open defecation.
  • Improve the condition of water, hygiene, and sanitation for vulnerable people.
  • Ensure safe and clean water for all in Angola is accessible.

Reasons why everyone deserves access to clean water.

  1. To prevent diseases.

Drinking contaminated water can lead to fatal medical conditions like cholera, hepatitis A, and typhoid.

  1. To improve sanitation facilities.

To maintain good health, we should wash our bodies, cook, clean, and do laundry with clean water.

  1. To get rid of toxins.

Clean water helps the body to remove toxins. The toxins may be created due to consumption of contaminated water, bodily reactions, or outside sources.

  1. To provide nourishment.

The human body is 60% water meaning it needs to be hydrated adequately for the psychological system to function well. To maintain good organ health and allow blood to flow consistently and freely, you need water.

Angola is one of the poorest nations in the world despite the significant revenue they get from diamonds and oil. The life expectancy in this country is as low as 39 years. Access to clean water is their greatest development challenge. When pathogens and chemicals enter the water supply, the water gets contaminated. If this water is consumed, people get sick due to water-borne diseases. Water supplies should be routinely checked for pathogens or chemicals and treated if the water isn’t safe for drinking.

How to improve access to clean water.

  1. Implement the use of rainwater harvesting systems or building wells to extract water from underground aquifers. This enables the residents to collect and store clean water for drinking.
  2. Improving sanitation facilities by ensuring the toilets flush to an enclosed sewer.
  3. Provide home water-treatment options like solar disinfection, filters, or flocculants to make drinking water safe.
  4. People are educated on ways of promoting good hygiene habits.
  5. Low-cost solutions that help to improve the quality of water are promoted. It includes using plastic bottles that are exposable to sunlight or chlorine tablets.

Conclusion.

Angola is one of the poorest countries in the world despite the significant revenue they get from oil and diamonds. Their biggest development challenge is access to clean drinking water. Most people have no choice but to travel for long distances to get water or buy it from trucks at a high cost. Collecting water is a burden for the children and women in these communities. Philanthropic organizations have come up with projects to ensure everyone in Angola can access clean drinking water and sanitation.

Related Articles

Back to top button