Water water every where. . . . .

I've been getting an education this month from my 4 year old on how dirty water can make you ill. She's in training at nursery for the Sport Relief Mile and in her own way, understands that there is a little girl called Zainab in Sierra Leone that has to walk miles in the sun, just to get some water that often makes her sick.

There are many things that I cover during an appointment with a traveller but the importance of clean water is always one of them. Whilst some diseases like hepatitis A, polio and cholera can largely be prevented by vaccination there are many more water borne diseases including travellers’ diarrhoea that cannot be prevented by having a vaccine and there is a big reliance on what an individual does to prevent them getting ill. You can catch diseases by swimming, showering or drinking water that is contaminated so the water that you drink should always be bottled, boiled or sterilised, even when brushing your teeth. Avoid ice cubes as they can be made from unsafe water.

For some clients that I see, obtaining reliable bottled water will be pretty straight forward. For others, such as someone participating in a volunteer project for example, obtaining their water and making it safe to drink will be more of a challenge. Where will water be obtained? How far will you have to go to get it? Will you be able to boil water or will you need to chemically treat it so that it is safe to use?

Whilst unsafe water can make you ill, water is also vital if you want to get well and it's important to not get dehydrated if you have diarrhoea. Rehydration sachets mixed with safe water will help to prevent this.

If you’re running the Sport Relief Mile then good luck.  You're helping children and adults get access to something we in the UK take for granted - safe, clean water.