MANILA, Philippines - It is heartbreaking that today, many people still suffer needlessly from the lack of water. If they do have access to this life source, the water is loaded with germs, bacteria and disease-causing impurities resulting in sickness and death.
The cycle goes on until help is given to those in need. This problem is most severely felt in poverty-stricken areas in Africa, where more children perish from disease than in war.
United Nations data show that around 900 million people worldwide do not have access to potable drinking water. New, disturbing evidence shows that the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to halve the number of people who do not have access to safe drinking water by 2015 will not be met — at least not in much-neglected Africa. The world is hoping that this target will be met.
But efforts toward this end are undermined by a number of factors: drought caused by climate change, poor management of existing clean water resources, deforestation, pollution, and rapid population increase and movement.
Safe drinking water is a fundamental development issue and more investment is needed to address this problem now. Over the last 10 years investment in health and research and aid for HIV/AIDS sufferers in sub-Saharan Africa has increased by nearly 500 percent while investment in water and sanitation has increased by only 79 percent, the WHO says.
More than 1.1 billion people — roughly one-sixth of the world’s population — still do not have access to safe drinking water while 2.2 million people in developing countries, most of them children, die every year from diseases caused by the lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
Still, the cries of the poorest have not fallen on deaf ears. Various non-government agencies are exerting huge efforts to raise funds to build clean, safe and sustainable water sources such as wells and pipelines to reach the poorest countries in Africa. One such country is Sierra Leone, a developing nation in western Africa that is still reeling from the devastation of the 10-year civil war that ended in 2002. Though known for its vast diamond reserves, its people have very little access to safe drinking water. However, with aggressive programs, Sierra Leone is poised to become a model for other African nations in solving the water crisis.
Realizing this dynamism, Filipino firm Solerex Water Technologies Inc., maker of Crystal Clear bottled water, is expanding its operations in Western Africa with the African brothers as partners. Armed with 25 years of expertise in water treatment, Solerex is confident that it can help win the fight to provide safe drinking water in Africa, starting in Sierra Leone.
“The climate in West Africa is similar to that in the tropics. It rains half of the year while it is sunny for the rest of the time. Solerex will set up a branch office in West Africa with our Sierra Leone partners with the aim of opening five more stores beginning January 2012. Hopefully, this will also open trade relations with Sierra Leone, which is known for its rich natural resources,” says Jose Antonio Soler, Solerex Water Technologies Inc. president.
“The total population of Sierra Leone is six million as compared to over eight million in Metro Manila alone. Sierra Leoneans are warm and friendly just like Filipinos, and they love to eat rice and have fun so our culture is very similar to theirs. English is their official language so communicating with them will be easy,” Soler adds.
WHO and UNICEF data show that improved water supply reduces morbidity from diarrhea by 25 percent and improvements in drinking water through proper storage in the home and chlorination reduces diarrhea episodes by 39 percent.
Thus, it will be an enormous challenge for Solerex to address this water problem, starting in Sierra Leone then moving on to other parts of West Africa.
“Safe and clean drinking water is of utmost importance for any developing country. Aside from giving them access to safe drinking water, we will also help develop entrepreneurs who will help the communities become self-sufficient and not just rely on importation,” Soler says.