How can work with water damage my health

Women must often find and carry all the water for their families. Women also do most of the washing and cleaning, and are usually the ones who bathe children. All of these tasks are important for a woman’s health and the health of her family. However, these same tasks can cause health problems.

Health problems from work with water:

Women who spend long hours in contact with contaminated water are exposed to parasites and germs that live in and near water. These women are more likely to get infected with bilharzia, guinea worm, the germs that cause river blindness and cholera, and other parasitic diseases.

Women who live downstream from a factory or large farms may be exposed to chemicals in the water. Chemicals can cause many health problems.

Water is one of the heaviest things women must carry, so collecting and carrying it can cause back and neck problems, as well as other health problems.

Sources

• Burns, A. A., Niemann, S., Lovich, R., Maxwell, J., & Shapiro, K. (2014). Where women have no doctor: A health guide for women. Hesperian Foundation.
• Audiopedia ID: en030111