Correct Option
The correct option is (a).
Explanation
The Public Health and Sanitation, specifically focusing on the role of safe drinking water in preventing water-borne diseases and the biological vulnerability of specific demographic groups.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1: Correct
Safe drinking water is defined as water that is free from pathogens and toxic chemicals. The availability of safe water directly interrupts the transmission of water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis A. Therefore, it serves as a primary preventive measure against these illnesses.
- Statement 2: Incorrect
Deaths due to water-related diseases are not unavoidable; they are largely preventable. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) can significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the mortality rates associated with diarrheal diseases and other water-borne infections.
- Statement 3: Incorrect
Children below the age of five are not naturally immune to water-related diseases. On the contrary, they are the most vulnerable group due to their developing immune systems and lower body mass. Diarrheal diseases caused by contaminated water are a leading cause of mortality among children under five globally.
Key Takeaway
Safe drinking water is a critical determinant of health that prevents water-borne diseases; children under five are highly susceptible, not immune, to these infections due to their developing physiology.