Role of the World Health Organization in Management of Gastrointestinal Diseases Caused by Contaminated Water in Children in the Middle East: A Review Article

Abstract

Background: The world health organization (WHO), as the international authority on public health and water quality, directs and monitors global efforts to prevent the transmission of waterborne diseases and advises governments on the development of health-based goals and regulations. Objectives: This review study aims to investigate the management methods, including control, prevention, and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in children in the Middle East caused by contaminated water through WHO. Methods: For this purpose, Scopus, Google scholar, PubMed, SID, Irandoc, and up-to-date databases were searched without time limitation. Keywords included contaminated water, pediatric, GI diseases, and WHO. In this study, the full text of various articles in Persian and English was used. After removing duplicate articles and articles that did not fit the topic of the study, 54 articles were finally selected. Results: Based on the findings, the world health organization has reported that diarrhea, polio, hepatitis A, and cholera are the most common GI infectious diseases caused by contaminated water in children in the Middle East. The present reports of waterborne disease represent only a small proportion of the total number of cases of this disease in the population. In some areas, it has been shown that investments in water and wastewater supply by responsible institutions can provide a net economic gain by reducing negative health impacts and healthcare costs. Results The results of this study indicate that most of the diseases caused by contaminated water affect children, due to low ability to observe personal hygiene and the state of the child’s immune system, which often leads to the death of children. Conclusions: The lack of diagnosis and insufficient prevalence of these diseases in some Middle Eastern countries, followed by the lack of attention to the prevention and control of waterborne diseases, threatens the health policies of these countries. International organizations, especially the world health organization and the united nations children’s fund, play a vital role in addressing and controlling this problem.