Iraqis Learn Basic Life Expectancy Issues
Part of the basics about qualify of life is learning about the importance of the little things in life, like clean drinking water, healthy food, and basic hygiene and care of yourself. Coalition troops are working with local Iraqi officials to try and help teach these basic concepts to citizens and members of the Iraqi community. Soldiers from the 703rd Brigade support battalion, 4th BCT, 3rd Infantry are working to instruct and teach classes on how to purify water, and gave out over 150 different purification and water sanitization systems to different families in the Samrah Iraq area.
Villagers came and learned about basic public health topics, and gave them a chance to ask questions in a relaxed comfortable setting. They were told about how it is important to have clean water to help prevent skin issues and skin problems, and how to use clean drinking water for good health and to prevent gastro intestinal issues.
Most of the local drinking water comes from a local canal that animal wastes have drained into, and because of this many of the local residents have at times suffered with skin diseases, worms and other disease. Using clean and purified water for drinking would help alleviate much of this disease situation.
Medical staff from coalition forces took water from the canal and strained it through white fabric and boiled it to demonstrate how to properly purify the water.
“Boiling the water makes it healthy to drink and kills any organisms in the water, which will lead to less disease and fewer illness.,” said Medical specialist Lori MacFarland.
