The basic need for clothing is to protect oneself from the elements. For women in Bangladesh, the traditional sari serves this purpose. The colorful, draping material, however, appears to be an effective barrier against disease, as well.
Though rarely seen in the developed world, cholera is still highly prevalent in many developing countries. Access to clean, safe drinking water is a key ingredient in the prevention of the disease. Cholera often goes undetected in mild cases and is therefore spread rapidly in countries where proper hygiene is not in place. In severe cases, the disease causes death by dehydration if not treated promptly.
Researchers from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health found that by filtering water in a cotton sari that has been folded at least eight times, the material will remove plankton, as well as the bacteria that grows on it. Since the researchers have taught the women to filter, the rate of cholera transmission has dropped almost in half.
“We were thrilled,” said Rita R. Colwell, the lead researcher on the project, in the magazine of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. “I certainly expected a reduction, but to get almost a 50 percent reduction was wonderful.”
The best part about the sari filtration system is that it is simple, uses materials already available and is non-technical. During a follow-up study, the research team found that many of the women sustained the filtering practice, and other women not originally involved in the study had adopted the practice, as well.
The filtration system not only reduced cholera transmission directly, but also indirectly as families who did not employ the system also reaped the benefits due to lower contagiousness of the disease.
Scientists have now taken the sari technique a step further and are investigating using organic and developed materials to disinfect water. “Just 10 to 12 years ago, we were talking about the dream of disinfecting water without using chemicals,” said Joseph G. Jacangelo, director of the School’s Center for Water and Health, in the magazine. “In the last couple of years, the dream has started to be realized.”
Photo by Shreyans Bhansali via Flickr.