New Drug to Treat Water

New Drug to Treat Water

New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
3 July 2007
Posted to the web 4 July 2007

By Aisha Ahmad
Kampala

The World Health Organisation estimates that 80% of all diseases in developing countries are related to drinking unsafe water and poor hygiene. These include cholera, typhoid, dysentery and diarrhoea.

Treatment of water is non-existent in most rural areas. Many springs have clean water, but not all water that looks clean is safe.

At the beginning of June, Afford, the health marketing initiative, together with Usaid, introduced Aqua Safe, a tablet which treats water domestically to make it safe.

The drug contains sodium dichloroisocyan-urate, at 3.5 mg per litre, which is safe for consumption.

William Nyombi, Uganda Health Marketing Group's brand promotion executive, says the drug kills the germs in water and has been approved by the National Drug Authority and Unicef.

David Kanyoro, Affords's head of marketing says Aqua Safe can be purchased from pharmacies and agents at sh50 a tablet. One tablet treats 20 litres of water.

So far, Affords has launched Aqua Safe in Mbarara, Hoima, Mbale and Arua districts.

Dr. Anguzu Patrick, the Arua district health officer, said safe water coverage in the district is around 63% on average, but goes to as low as 23% in Madi County.

He said even with safe water, a problem can be introduced from the source to the household.

"With options like Aqua Safe, deaths from water-borne diseases will be contained."

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