Lions Clubs support the worldwide promotion of SODIS
More than a third of the population in developing countries does not have access to safe drinking water. This presents a high risk for diarrhoea and other water borne diseases. Each day, 6000 children die of dehydration due to diarrhoea. This situation can be improved with the application of adequate methods to treat drinking water.
Solar Water Disinfection is a simple method to improving the microbiological quality of drinking water: contaminated water is filled into transparent PET-bottles and exposed to the sunlight for 6 hours. During the solar exposure the UV-A radiation destroys diarrhoea causing bacteria, viruses, Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
The efficiency of the method has been tested through laboratory evaluation and field tests by the reputed Swiss water research institute EAWAG and other research institutes in Ireland, England and the USA. Various epidemiological studies conduced in Bolivia and Kenya by the Swiss Tropical Institute and the Irish Royal College of Surgeons have shown that people using SODIS treated water have significantly less diarrhoea than before.
SODIS is simple and can be applied by the user with very low cost as the only resources required are PET-bottles and the sunlight. Encompassing effort and resources however are required to disseminate the information about SODIS, create awareness and train the people in need.
To face the global water crisis, Lions Clubs support the worldwide promotion and dissemination of SODIS. Partnerships are established with Lions Clubs in Developing Countries and resources collected in industrialized countries to support SODIS dissemination projects.
Contact:
PDG Moritz Bickel
SODIS Koordinator
MD 102 Schweiz-Liechtenstein
Schönbüelstrasse 38
CH-8330 Pfäffikon, Schweiz
Tel. +41 44 950 03 79
email: (EMail:pswlx1fnfojoDxzmxvssomsh2hk)
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