Drinking Water Security in Crisis Situations From a Medical Perspective

The present paper deals with the drinking water security problems in large rural areas of Romania during the 2005 floods in the Timis, Bega and Mures River basins. It evaluates the intervention of public health authorities to prevent a major health risk from an epidemic or endemic water-borne diseases, as well as the health promoting education in this regard. From the medical perspective, the interventions in flood affected region showed once again that the main public health priority was to provide a basic secure water supply to the affected population. Along with the water supply, the prophylactic immunisation for waterborne diseases, like hepatitis A, resulted in crisis management without significantly affecting the health status of the population. Analysis of the events in recent years has shown the persistence of the communities' vulnerability in emergency situations, even though the capacity of the specialized institutions for action has increased.