Belize observing Inter-American Water Day

Belize joins Latin America and the Caribbean countries this Saturday in observing “Inter-American Water Day.” According to a joint release from the Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization, this year’s theme, “Let’s not take it for Granted”, calls for greater attention to water supply, quality, protection and conservation of this vital resource. Worldwide some one point one billion people lack access to safe drinking water and two point four billion have inadequate sanitation. Every year over two million people, mostly children under five, die from diarrhoea-related diseases. In Belize, water in urban areas is considered safe for drinking, with quality problems more prevalent in rural communities, especially those where shallow, unprotected hand wells are used, or areas which depend on streams, rivers or lakes which experience a greater risk of water or flood borne diseases. However, there have been significant decreases in the instances of cholera and gastroenteritis due to the monitoring of water quality and public education programmes. Seventeen percent of Belizean households report consuming bottled water and demand appears to be growing. Belize currently has ten bottled-water companies.