Victorian London

Reading through lecture notes about urban water and sanitation issues has highlighted to me that one focal point/issue is the existence of diarrohoeal diseases and how poor water sanitation particularly in an urban setting can affect the occurrence and prevalence of such diseases.
It is known to me that water sanitation in Victorian London was poor with outbreaks of Cholera common. One particular outbreak originating from the Broad Street pump in Soho in 1854 has particular fame attached to it as it led to the physician John Snow to conclude that cholera contaminated water as opposed to being air borne. However, the point is the lecture slides suggests that the water sanitation conditions in that era in London were "remarkably similar to many African cities today". thus based on this i am going to do further research on specific disease outbreaks within African urban areas caused by poor water sanitation.

Unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene practice lead to "chronic, recurrent incident of diarrhoeal diseases", complications of such diseases include malnutrition and stunting as well as of course fatalities. An epidemic of such diseases may be triggered by an extreme event, such as an earthquake, heavy rainfall or flooding etc... "mobilising waterborne pathogens or leading to the introduction of a new toxin/pathogen through mutation". Those communities without access to safe water and adequate sanitation, and unable to practice good hygiene are extremely vulnerable to contracting these diseases.

Any google search concerning "Urban Water and Sanitation" particularly in Africa reveals multiple charitable websites talking of "ongoing projects" or ways in which "issues/problems" concerning the above can be solved. Thus it can be assumed that many urban areas within countries in Africa have issues with sanitation in their urban areas. This blog will explore issues and potential solutions of water and sanitation in urban Africa.