Thebes, Egypt; felucca on the Nile, 1990

Thebes, Egypt; felucca on the Nile, January 1990. Shows a felucca crossing from Thebes to Luxor. In the background are the purple Theban hills. The Nile is the main highway throughout the length of Egypt and until the twentieth century boats were always the most important means of transport. Ferries regularly transport people from one side of the river to the other. 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