A burgeoning global population and climate change is causing major water shortages across the world, but more than that, human beings are over-running the world with our man-made textiles, technology and other pollutants.

Our total disregard for the environment is causing mayhem for the environment and is literally killing millions of individuals annually.

According to a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report, entitled Don’t pollute my future! The impact of the environment on children’s health, in excess of 1 in 4 children under the age of five die as a result of unhealthy environments.

Every year, the lives of 1.7 million children under the age of 5 die due to environmental pollutants such as second-hand smoke, indoor and outdoor air pollution, lack of sanitation, and inadequate hygiene and unsafe water.

The report states that:

  • 200 000 children under 5 years die from unintentional injuries attributable to the environment, such as poisoning, falls, and drowning.
  • 200 000 deaths of children under 5 years from malaria could be prevented through environmental actions, such as reducing breeding sites of mosquitoes or covering drinking-water storage;
  • 270 000 children die during their first month of life from conditions, including prematurity, which could be prevented through access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in health facilities as well as reducing air pollution;
  • 361 000 children under 5 years die due to diarrhoea, as a result of poor access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene;
  • 570 000 children under 5 years die from respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, attributable to indoor and outdoor air pollution, and second-hand smoke;

This means that around 800 000 children die of causes linked to polluted water. It therefore behoves each and every single one of us to ensure that we do not pollute nature or the water on which our very lives depends.

We also need to ensure that the water that we and our loved ones are drinking is pollutant-free, and the best way that this can be done is by investing in a water cooler with a good filter that can remove all toxins, including chlorine and fluoride.