Boil water before consumption: Dr Munshi Advices
World Water Day shares an important message about the significance of accessing clean and safe drinking water.
With this year’s theme Water for Peace, World Water Day, draws attention to the importance of water in a human life. With the current adverse weather conditions that Fiji is experiencing, the Fiji Medical Association president, Dr Basharat Munshi is calling on people to boil water before consumption.
“We as human beings need fresh and clean water to consume and use it in our daily needs,” Dr Munshi said
Dr Munshi said boiling water before consumption, is an effective way of purifying water as heat kills harmful bacteria. “We should always drink boiled water because it is free of germs, bacteria and viruses.
“It also helps in releasing the toxins from our body. “Whenever it rains, what follows is a saturation or contamination of water sources.
“In Fiji, we have seen an exponential rise in the waterborne diseases such as leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue.
“In terms of leptospirosis, it is caused by contamination of water by animal urine.
“Especially in the rural setting, it becomes very important to treat all water to prevent such diseases,” he said.
Dr Munshi also said it was crucial for students to be educated on the need to protect and conserve water.
“Of course, if you have resources available, use bottled water for consumption in this period.”
“If there is a precious commodity such as water for the survival of humans, then we should definitely celebrate it and create an awareness to remind ourselves how important the resource is. “Although most of our planet is of water, it is still considered as a scarce resource in some parts of the world.
“Awareness should be created around school students on conserving water.”
World Water Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness and inspire action to tackle water and sanitation crisis.
World Water Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness and inspire action to tackle water and sanitation crisis