FOCUS OF THE EMORY
CENTER FOR GLOBAL SAFE WATER
Changes and challenges in the wind as 2008 comes to an
end. The same is true when examining this month’s ReachMD XM160 special series
Focus On Global Medicine. We take a look at both the changes and the
challenges impacting global medicine.
The ancient mariner was prophetic when he said water,
water everywhere but not a drop to drink. You are listening to ReachMD, The
Channel for Medical Professionals, and today we have a special segment on
global health. I am your host, Dr. Morris Pickard and our guest is Dr. James
M. Hughes. Dr. Hughes is Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. He is also the Director of
the Emory Program of Global Infectious Disease and the Director of the Emory
Center for Global Safe Water.
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
Thank you very much Dr. Hughes for joining us.
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
Well, the global implications are quite severe. Water is
essential to life as we know and 70% of the human body weight approximately is
water, so it is very clear to all of us how essential water is; and it is not
just the available water, it is pure safe drinking water as well. We think of
the issue involving the global safe water is really having 3 parts; access to a
safe water supply, access to adequate sanitation facilities to ensure safe ways
disposal and then good personal hygiene, which requires water and soap.
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
Well, you are right, the highlight is the children under the
age of 5 because they are the ones that are primarily impacted by inadequate
and unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and inadequate hygiene. They suffer
from a range of water-related diseases, which may include diarrhea, skin
infection, eye infection, trachoma being a good example of that, acute
respiratory tract infections, and then some of the water-based and vector-borne
diseases such as schistosomiasis and guinea worm, on the one hand; malaria,
dengue, and African trypanosomiasis on the other hand. So, there is a broad
range of water-related diseases. On the sanitation side, the problem is even
more complicated because of the challenges posed by intestinal parasitic
disease, ascariasis and hookworm and Trichuris come to mind as examples.
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
In your article of August 21, 2008, talking dirty the
politics of clean water and sanitation that you wrote with Dr. Barry, kind of
really puts this issue in its perspective and breaks down the various types of
illnesses that water is involved in, and then you know you touched on trachoma,
which is a disease that supposedly 6 million people are blind and all it takes
is simple hand washing. Do you think the United States is doing enough as far
as third world countries are concerned in this particular area?
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
I would like to ask you, do you think that having water is
actually a human right?
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
United States has had a clean water act in 1972 and a safe
drinking water act in 1974. This is certainly something in our country we have
been aware of. Again, why has not this information translated into a more
aggressive pattern, especially are doctors doing enough?
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
Dr. JAMES M. HUGHES:
DR. MORRIS PICKARD:
I want to thank our guest Dr. James M. Hughes, Professor of
Medicine and Public Health at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory
University.
I am Dr. Morris Pickard your host and you have been to
listening to a special segment on Global Health from ReachMD, The Channel for
Medical Professionals. Please visit our website at www.reachmd.com, which features our entire
library through on-demand pod cast. Thank you again for listening.
Thank you again for listening to our special series focus
on Global Medicine as we celebrate this annual holiday season. Every one at ReachMD
wishes you and your family a happy holiday and a successful New Year.
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