It is a really bad idea for a number of reasons. It can damage infrastructure, result in inequitable access to water and contamination of the water supply

Boiling water is also an effective and low-cost way to make uncertain water safe for drinking and cooking.

African countries, including South Africa, have limited waste infrastructure and uneven water treatment systems, which exacerbates the problem of antibiotic resistance

Environmental waste, especially pharmaceuticals and toxins, needs high-level action to stop its major contribution to antimicrobial resistance

Scientists have the technology (and apparently the inclination) to make fungus better, stronger, faster

A microbial fuel cell can process sewage on a small or very large scale and solve the problem of water treatment, some five years from now.

A new study has found that your kitchen counter is more likely to be contaminated by disease-causing bacteria than the handle of your toilet.

Health authorities fret at the prospect of a global outbreak similar to the 2003 Sars crisis.

A new strain of drug-resistant bacteria has made landfall in South Africa.

MRSA is the superbug causing alarm in hospitals around the world. South African hospitals have not been spared.

We pay for antibacterial wipes while Third World children die because of a lack of basic sanitation.

Barbara Ludman reviews Robert Baker’s latest book about the indelible impact of epidemics.