water sources, infrastructure, space and the dynamics of ...

Water sources, infrastructure, space and the dynamics of environmental diseases in Saboba District: Using GISABSTRACTThis research was undertaken in Saboba district of Northern Ghana to examine the relationbetween water sources, infrastructure and space on one hand and dynamics of environmentaldiseases on the other. The specific causes of high environmental diseases in the district werealso identified. The top three leading diseases (Malaria, Typhoid and Respiratory TractInfections, RTI) in the district are environmental, wherein the first two is water-related. Thestudy discovered that there was an inverse significant correlation between incidences ofMalaria, Typhoid and RTI on one hand and distances to major town on the other. However,the correlation between the former and distances to watercourses, roads, the type of landcover and elevation (except malaria and distance to roads) had no significant relationship. Itwas discovered that women were disproportionately affected by environmental diseases. Thestudy also discovered that the immediate health threats for the people of Saboba district arethe life and death immediacy of Malaria, Typhoid and respiratory diseases. These threats aremainly derived from synergic human causes from household environments, characterised byfar-from-door-clean-water, near-the-door-faeces, uncontrolled sewage, presence of dugout pits,frequent interruption of pipe water, poor waste disposal, poverty and illiteracy. For causes,the study concluded that the high rates of environmental diseases; especially malaria andTyphoid, were largely due to lack of and/or inappropriate infrastructural constructions. It issuggested that health officials in the district need to reprioritise health campaigns to createmore awareness on the commonest diseases in the district rather than tolling theinternational health campaign trends.Key words: Environmental diseases; Free-range; Space; Stagnant water; Waterrelateddiseasesiii