Assessment of safe drinking water provision in rural areas of Karaganda region: a case study from Bukhar-Zhyrau district

Abstract

Relevance of the research. Access to safe drinking water is the first aspect of public health, which significantly reduces incidence of disease and mortality. lt also improves life expectancy, school attendance and gender equalily, as well as reduces poverty and ensures social and economic development of the country. However, the benefits of access to the improved source of drinking water can only be fully realized it there is access to improved sanitation and personal hygiene (Mbah F., Nkenyi R., Fru D., 2019; Omarova A. Byxapa, 2019; Omarova A.O. Meдицина, 2019; www.unwater.org). The burden of diseases associated with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) accounts for 4% of all deaths and 5.7% of the total disease burden in the world (Bartram J., Cairncross S., 2010). Improved WASH could prevent the deaths of more than two million children under the age of five annually, since the main cause of death among them is diarrhea (Pruss-Ustun A., Bos R., Gore F., Bartram J., 2008). During diarrhea, water and electrolytes are excreted from the body, which may result in dehydration (Boschi-Pinto, C., Velebit L., Shibuya K., 2008; Omarova A., Tussupova K., Berdtsson R., Kalishev M„ Sharapatova K., 2018; Onıarova A.O. Bестник Южно Казахсьанской медицинской академии, 2018; www.who.int). Diarrhea also indirectly affects stunting in children under five years of age, which, in turn, leads to increased susceptibility to infectious diseases of various etiologies (Figure 1) (Efstratiou A., Ongerth J. E., Karanis P., 2017; Baldursson S., Karanis P., 2011; Park C., Martirosyan A., Frehyvot S., Jones E., Labat A., Tam Y., Opong E., 2019).