Diarrhoea and
effects of different water sources, sanitation and hygiene behaviour in East
Africa.
Tumwine, J.K. et al.
A brief summary of the above article is as follows.
Ill health related
to inadequate water sanitation and supply is "one of the most significant
concerns" in many developing countries and is one of the primary causes of
many childhood illnesses and poor health in parts of East Africa.
The objective of the study was to carry
out a repeat analysis of domestic water use and environmental health in East
Africa. Measurements were
taken in the amount of water collected, recordings of the amount of water use
at home taken, socio-demographic analysis of household characteristics taken,
prevalence of diarrhoea, state and use of latrines and the sources of water and
conditions of use.
Of the 1015 surveyed
households in 33 sites in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya between the years
1967-1997 the following results were recorded for the prevalence of Diarrhoea
in these area.
- Kenya, increase from 6%-18%
- Uganda, increase from 16%-21%
- Tanzania, decline from
11%-18%
The main
determinants of diarrhoea morbidity included poor hygiene due to unsafe
disposal of faeces and wastewater, the education level of household head, where
water was obtained from (surface sources or wells) and per capita water used
for cleaning.
(WHO/UNICEF, 2000)
*4
billion cases of diarrhoea each year. 2.2 million deaths, most of which occur
un children under the age of 5.
*In
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, approx 42 million people do not have access to
improved water supply and 13 million do not have access to improved sanitation
facilities.
Water supply
coverage refers to the proportion of
with adequate access to safe drinking water in a dwelling or located
within a convenient distance from the user’s dwelling. Reasonable access
implies that the housewife does not have to spend a disproportionate part of
the day fetching water for the family’s needs; 200 m is regarded as a
convenient distance (Rosen & Vincent 1999).
Sanitation service
coverage is generally defined as the proportion of the population with access
to at least adequate excreta disposal facilities that can effectively prevent
human, animal and insect contact with excreta. Suitable facilities range from simple
but protected pit latrines to flush toilets with sewerage (WHO 1996).
Study suggests that
benefits of services improvements to diarrhoea morbidity were 25% from improved
water availability, 22% from improved excreta disposal, and 16% from water
quality improvements.
