Though the arsenic contamination in groundwater in Bangladesh is a rising concern when it comes to ensuring health security for the people, these days, the issue is getting less focus than it did in the past.
Many water reserves in rural Bangladesh have been identified with high arsenic concentration, which is frighteningly higher than the level set by the WHO, and many more areas are feared to have been contaminated with the same level. Areas in various regions are intensively affected with the arsenic problem, and numerous areas have yet to be identified in terms of the level of contamination.
It is likely that over 7 million people are at arsenic related health risks, with 2.4 million already susceptible to potential arsenic contamination. Arsenicosis patient management still depicts a bleak picture of the rural health services in Bangladesh, where studies reveal that 48% of arsenic-affected patients were found to remain out of any treatment facilities.
Though the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) have identified many Arseniocsis patients, it is predicted that more than half of the patients stay behind to be listed because of poverty, ignorance, lack of information, false notions, and other social factors.
Arsenic patient management has seen big challenges, from various socio-cultural aspects, lack of coordination among the stakeholders, and an absence of sufficient treatment facilities. Though Bangladesh has achieved the MDG target in terms of water supply, the arsenic problem is still a big concern that may hinder our goals for sustainable development, and even though a National Policy for Arsenic Mitigation of 2004 has been formulated, it has not been properly implemented.
Many activities and research projects have been conducted, and many are still underway -- with the government, various policy-makers, international development organisations, and NGOs working together with the goal of mitigating the arsenic problem, but expected results are not being yielded mostly because of a lack of coordination among the various initiatives.
To eradicate the arsenic problem, combined efforts are necessary from all the stakeholders: The issue to be treated from multi-disciplinary aspects, like, for example, disaster management, climate change, and adaptation studies.
For this, a combined survey needs to be conducted by the health department to sketch out the arsenic scenario in Bangladesh.
All arsenic-prone areas, along with specific arsenic-free aquifers, need to be properly identified along with the actual number of arsenicosis patients, specially addressing the socio-cultural and health aspects, as soon as possible.
In most cases, the rural people are kept from receiving better treatment for arsenic because of their lack of knowledge on the matter and the lack of access to treatment facilities -- these people need to be informed about community clinic services on offer throughout the country, and community clinics themselves should be equipped with modern logistical support for the initial identification of arenicosis patients and have staff who are trained well enough to deliver proper treatment to even the remotest areas of Bangladesh.
It has always been a big challenge for the government to ensure proper treatment facilities to arseniocosis patients. This problem could be kept at bay if newly recruited doctors could be trained well. ADP’s fund for Rural Public Health can be utilised for accurate identification and providing treatment facilities for arsenicosis patients.
The problem of authorities installing water technologies without testing for arsenic is also a major cause for concern. Therefore, uncompromising action needs to be taken against such people.
A national management committee needs to be formed in order to identify the level of necessary task, and to work as a pressure group at various stages to mitigate our problem with arsenic.
The seventh five-year plan for Bangladesh is going to be formulated in the coming year. Accurate concentration on the arsenic issue is necessary, and if the projects are to be undertaken, it is imperative that they be supplied well in terms of medicine, treatment facilities, and livelihood facilities, alongside safe drinking water options, of course.
And finally, proper implementation of the National Policy for Arsenic Mitigation 2004 and the Implementation Plan for Arsenic Mitigation is essential in order to make good on the opportunity to eradicate our arsenic problem.
Arsenic contamination has caused unfavourable effects in terms of health, social, cultural, and economic factors in our country. There is no room for ignoring the issue or its adverse effects any longer. This problem needs to be identified through co-ordinated research, with findings disseminated far and wide.