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Miserable wet weather and drought orders

Miserable wet weather and drought orders - spare a thought for those on the other side of the world that must use one litre of water to wash thirty faces

As the Southeast of England braces itself for the possible effects of drought orders that could ban washing cars and filling swimming pools, UK based charity Sightsavers International is asking Britons to spare some thought for people in some of the poorest communities in developing countries where they barely have enough water to prevent the spread of blindness caused by trachoma.

It is estimated that each person in the UK, uses on average 150 litres of water every day. Taking a bath alone requires 80 litres. Yet, in some developing countries, such as Malawi, some communities use just one litre of water to wash the faces of 30 children to help prevent them from developing the blinding condition caused by trachoma.  Even when terrible droughts such as the one just experienced by Kenya are not occurring many communities around the world have to deal with water shortages on a daily basis that seriously threaten their health.

So how do you wash thirty faces with one litre of water? Sightsavers and its local partners have introduced a device known as the 'leaky tin.' It is a simple homemade plastic tub or tin hung from a branch with a small hole in the bottom. One litre of water is enough to allow thirty people to wash their faces protecting them from infection. Face washing is vital because the removal of discharge from the eyes and nose will dramatically reduce the likelihood of trachoma. The leaky tin is part of the World Health Organisation's SAFE strategy - Surgery, Antibiotics, Face washing, Environmental hygiene.

Trachoma, the most preventable and infectious cause of blindness worldwide, currently affects 84 million people. Around 5.6 million of these people are blind and many are at risk of blindness after repeated infections with the organism Chlamydia Trachomatis. The overwhelming majority of these people live in poor, remote and arid rural areas in developing countries.

But preventative measures such as face washing and environmental hygiene are now under threat because of the disproportionate and growing effect of climate change, ironically, in poor rural areas where people are more vulnerable to its effects.

Godfrey Kimani, Regional Programme Officer at Sightsavers International, said:
'Here in the UK we are all getting used to having to think a little harder about how much water we are using, and to many people the idea of using standpipes probably seems quite alien.  But just imagine barely having any water at all and having to make every last drop really count. It is quite amazing to think that the amount of water used by one person in the UK to fill a bath is the same as that used by 2400 people on the other side of the world to wash their faces and protect themselves from a potentially blinding disease.'

For more information go to: www.sightsavers.org
ENDS

For further information and photographs of children using the 'leaky tin' in Malawi please contact Michelle Akande at Sightsavers International on 01444 44 86 or 07775 928 253. press@sightsavers.org

Notes to editors:
1. Trachoma is a diseases of poverty, affecting primarily women and children in hot, dry and dusty areas where there is poor availability of water and sanitation, and limited access to hospitals and medical care
2. Years of repeated infections can result in trichiasis, when the eyelid turns inwards and the eyelashes rub on the eyeball, causing scarring, constant irritation, terrible pain and eventually blindness
3. Caused by the micro-organism, Chlamydia trachomatis, trachoma is spread through flies and by cross infection, such as unclean fingers and towels
4. Sightsavers works with local partners in over 30 countries across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, in poor and the least served communities to prevent and cure blindness, restore sight and provide education and training for people who are blind.
5. Figures on UK water consumption were sourced from the BBC

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