Disease Dilemmas Case Study : Bangladesh Flashcards
Where is Bangladesh?
Southern Asia
When were the bangladesh floods?
2020
What disease broke out after the bangladesh floods?
- Epidemic of diarrhoea
- Water-borne diseases such as typhoid and hepatitis and cholera
What is Bangladesh prone to?
Annual floods
Why are the floods in Bangladesh important?
Deliver more than 1 bill tonnes of fertile soil - important to those in rural areas (in 2019 more than 60% lived in rural areas)
Why did disease break out after the floods?
Drinking water became contaminated by flood water
Why is Bangladesh prone to flooding?
Has a low-lying floodplain landscape and has more than 200 rivers which dominates the countries landscape
Human influences on Bangladesh floods:
- Rapid urbanisation (lag time shortened and peak flow increased making it 6 times more susceptible to flooding)
- Deforestation in upstream region
- Fresh water demand
- Stability of flood defences
Natural influences on Bangladesh floods:
- Monsoon climate
- Tectonic uplift
- Relief runoff
- Sea levels rising
What are three major rivers in Bangladesh?
- Ganges
- Brahmaputra
- Meghna
What % of Bangladesh was flooded within the first 2 months of the floods?
40%
How many people were affected by the Bangladesh floods?
3.3 mill people
How many homes were waterlogged by the Bangladesh floods?
750,000
How many hectares of crops were destroyed?
110,000
How many schools were destroyed by Bangladesh floods?
1,900
How many people died in Bangladesh floods?
83
How many people became ill from contaminated water in the Bangladesh floods?
4,500
What is the increasing amount of flooding having a negative effect on stopping?
Diarrhoea - clean water and sanitation are vital in combatting it
What is being done by the Bangladeshi gov and NGO’s to reduce diarrhoea (especially after flooding)?
- Use of oral rehydration solution (ORS)
- Promotion of breastfeeding (increases growth rates of babies as well as preventing water-borne diseases)
- Encouragement of hand washing
- Use of water purification tablets
- Improvements in female education and nutrition
How many lives are estimated to have been saved by the new sanitation policies against diarrhoea by the Bangladeshi gov?
70,000 in 2015 alone
What are factors affecting the rate of flooding in Bangladesh?
- Relief = Bangladesh is located on low-lying land meaning that floods happen easily and frequently
- Climate = climate change possibly increasing output of precipitation meaning more rain falling into Bangladesh rivers, shorter lag time, Bangladesh experiences monsoon rains annually
- Deforestation = increases surface run-off into rivers
What are factors affecting the spread of disease after Bangladesh floods?
