El-Amarna, Egypt; washing pots and pans in the Nile

El-Amarna, Egypt; women and girls washing pots and pans in the Nile. Scoured pots are raised on bricks for drying. The Nile and its man-made canals are the life-blood of Egypt but are also responsible for its most serious endemic disease, schistosomiasis. This is a parasitic infection carried by the Bilharzia worm (Schistosoma haematobium or Schistosoma mansoni) and spread to humans by water-dwelling snails. In 1990, about 25% of the total population of Egypt, including 36% of all villagers, did not have access to safe water for drinking and food preparation. Use of unhygienic water was the major cause of diarrhoeal diseases. Photographed in January 1990. See also N0022527.