By E.A. Crunden
Activists are calling for officials to declare a state of emergency in Detroit following the release of a study connecting water shutoffs throughout the city to an uptick in illnesses.
Community organizers in Detroit brought experts together on Wednesday to discuss the research on a panel, while asserting that city health officials have not done enough to address the problem.
“Water-related diseases are now occurring in Detroit as the result of water shutoffs,” said Dr. Wendy Johnson, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Global Health and Health Services at the University of Washington, according to Detroit News. “Access to clean and safe water is a basic human right that is essential from a public health standpoint to prevent infectious diseases. We have run out of time and solutions must be immediate.”
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