Focus on CSIR research in pollution waste: Added water related diarrhoeal burden due to HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Lack of access to proper water, improved sanitation and hygiene, is the main risk factor attributable to diarrhoeal-related disease in the country. Of the 48 million people in South Africa, approximately 3.3 million people still lack access to potable water, while approximately 15.3 million people live without adequate sanitation (DWAF, 2006). Of the 15.3 million people without basic sanitation, 151 660 people still make use of the bucket system. Diarrhoea is not a life threatening disease. Yet, not only do people suffer from the disease, some 1.3 million children below the age of five die from diarrhoeal disease every year. It is a crisis that kills an estimated 5,000 children each day.