| dc.description.abstract | Health is related to social, cultural, economic, biological and environmental factors, which include the availability of resources such as potable water and sanitary facilities. According to the WHO (1993) communities stays healthy or suffer from ill health as a result of their own behaviour. However, South Africans have been confronted with key determinants of inequality such as poverty, unemployment, bad housing, social isolation, malnutrition, pollution, ethnic minority status and gender issues which ultimately reduces the quality of life of many communities(Reid, 1997; Steyn et al, 1987). According to the WHO(1996) many learners suffer from easily preventable, curable or
manageable health problems that interrupt their ability to learn, develop normally and enjoy their schooling. However, children can also be seen as active risk assessors and problem solvers who develop strategies to survive hostile environments (Davis and Jones,1996).
It has been estimated that more than 800 million cases of diarchal diseases occur every year in developing countries causing approximately 3,3 million deaths of children (Pegram et al, 1998). Non-diarrheal related conditions such as scabies and helminthiasis have also been related to water and sanitation conditions (Esrey et a;,1986). A third of the world's population is infected with parasitic worms with poorer
communities more at risk if they reside in crowded, unhygienic surroundings which facilitate the spread of faecar-oral pathogens (curtis et. al, 1gg7). rn south Africa 20% ol all deaths in the one to five year age group is a sa result of diarrhoea caused by poor access to water and sanitation facilitate the spread of faecar-oral pathogens (curtis et. al, 1gg7). rn south Africa 20% ol all deaths in the one to five year age group is as a result of diarrhoea caused by poor access to water and sanitation. | en_US |
