Review of the relationship of water supplies to the health of the inhabitants of British Guiana (abstract only)

ABSTRACT

Owing to the ribbon-like housing developments in the inhabited coastlands and riverain areas it is not, at present, with the exception of Georgetown, economically feasible to deliver piped water to houses. Because of the long distances which must be travelled in order to transport water for drinking and domestic purposes and because the high iron content of many artesian wells which renders such water impalatable, recourse is often had to water from doubtful but more accessible sources. Many householders use the absolute minimum amount requisite for survival. Thirty-two per cent of the artesian wells have also been found to be contaminated. These factors operate to make gastro-enteritis and colitis among the leading causes of death in British Guiana and account for the comparitively high incidence of typhoid fever (AU)