countries. So maybe that is the reason why heart disease increased. But another
reason is that also the life span got to be longer.
Question 4 (Hon. Nguyen Thi Than, MP, VIETNAM)
The female population is about fifty percent. Do you have any data showing
that gyneco-10gical diseases in females are related to water supply in India
or Asi a?
Dr. Ogawa:
Well, I don't have any evidence about that, but I think that you need a certain
amount of the clean water to clean for your sanitary living. You need a certai
n amount. So if you don't have this certain amount, then there will be some
rea son for infection of the women, especially during the maternity.
Question 5 (Hon. Senator Kamilia lbrahim, MALAYSIA):
The question, Dr. Ogawa, is this. You have identified five types of contaminant
s relating to health in your paper. And from what I have heard, you have also
i ndicated that several factors have led to the differences in the three countrie
s in which you have conducted the research, and that had led to safe drinking
w ater. My question is, what do you think are the main factors that would
actuall y determine safe drinking water in any particular coun-try, or to
ensure that t he public has safe water policy? Is it education and awareness,
or is it the la w and the regulation of policies? Because, we in Malaysia
would want to have sa fe drinking water. We would like to reach that hundred
percent that you have in dicated. Thank you. So maybe you could tell us what
other countries could then follow as guide-lines, and how we can reach that
level. Thank you.
Dr. Ogawa:
Well, each country, Iike your country, has its regulations, and maybe the
water the people are using every day clears those regulations, so it is quite
safe. So even you don't make the big effort of the education, it may still
work. But it depends on whether the quality of the water is at the legal level
or not, an d if so then you have only to enforce and regulate the law. But
if the water do es not clear the law, then there is need for some adjustment.
You will have to treat the water yourself and make sure it is clean before
you use it. So in tha t case, education would be the good way to improve the
health.
