ABSTRACT
Water samples were collected especially into sterile containers at four designated pints within the Lagos State University; Ojo Campus. The water samples were immediately subjected to both chemical and microbiological analysis in order to evaluate the quality of potable water in circulation within the university and identify its sources of contami- nation. Levels of iron; calcium and magnesium detectable in the circulating drinking water were far below the WHO recommended limits. However; more potentially dangerous discovery was the level of Coliform contamination which far exceeds the WHO standards. This explains the high incidence of water-borne diseases such as Dysentry; Diarrhea; Typhoid fever within the university population. Meanwhile; other microorganisms detected were E. coli; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococcus aureus; yeasts and moulds. The pH of potable water in circulation falls within recommended limits (6.0-8.0) but for faculty of arts and social sciences that had pH of 5.5 which suggested a high degree of public health concern. There is the need for adequate changes to be made at points where water distribution systems integrity appeared compromised. The university community is advised to boil water before drinking in order to avoid consumption of unwholesome biological agents in the water distribution
Subject(s)
Lakes , Nigeria , Public Health , Water Microbiology , Water Supply , Water/analysisABSTRACT
Water borne diseases are alarmingly high in urban areas like Dar es Salaam. Hence the importance of chlorine-based water disinfectant solutions such as Waterguard that consists of 0.75sodium hypochlorite. Waterguard has been in the market in Dar es Salaam for about 4 years. Despite this; prevalence of waterborne diseases like cholera; dysentery and typhoid are still high. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Waterguard in disinfecting drinking water; and determine the level of fecal coliform contamination of water from four sources viz. taps; streams; shallow wells and deep wells located within Dar es Salaam city. The investigation on the efficacy of the agent was carried out in water samples collected in the city during a 4-month period.Sixty-four water samples were randomly collected and analyzed by the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique based on coliform counts for both untreated and treated water samples. Negative (distilled water) and positive (distilled water contaminated with feces)controls were also included. Results show that three out of the four water sources were heavily contaminated with the exception of deep wells. But appropriate use of Waterguard reduces the level of microbial contamination significantly. In this study the assayed Waterguard was found to be 100efficacious in treating the samples to a level within the WHO safety standards; hence is fit for disinfecting water for human use
Subject(s)
Water Pollution/prevention & control , Water Purification , Water SupplyABSTRACT
Une enquete sur la participation des communautes a la realisation d'un projet d'approvisionnement en eau potable a ete realisee dans le district sanitaire de Sangmelima en juin 1993. L'engagement des communautes a ete reel pour la realisation du projet. Toutefois la participation communautaire aurait pu etre plus elevee si les communautes avaient ete mieux sensibilisees. La pleine implication des communautes est donc un gage a une participation communautaire
Subject(s)
Community Participation , Water SupplyABSTRACT
L'accessibilite a l'eau potable dans les zones peripheriques de la ville de Kinshasa apparait faible. La qualite aussi laisse fort a desirer. Les auteurs ont evalue la qualite de l'eau potable a travers la zone de sante du Mont Amba en selectionnant 4 points de prelevements couvrant les differents modes d'approvisionnement: source; puits; et robinets. Les resultats des analyses physico-chimiques et bacteriologiques ont revele que les echantillons d'eau preleves ne satisfont pas pas aux normes tel que definies par l'OMS. Des recommandations ont ete formulees pour ameliorer cette situation
Subject(s)
Water Microbiology , Water Quality , Water SupplyABSTRACT
Acute childhood diarrhoea is the leading cause of death in children under five in Ethiopia. This is largely the result of lack of access to safe water; poor environmental sanitation; and crowding. In view of this; the aim of the present study was to document water handling practices and their association with childhood diarrhoea in the Garamuleta District of East Hararghe Region; Ethiopia. Water handling practices of families were monitored and the occurrence of diarrhoea was documented every two weeks over a 16 week period in 254 children under 6 years of age. The mean walking distance from the primary water source was 4.5 minutes and the mean per capita daily water consumption was 7.6 litres. The two week period prevalence for diarrhoea during these follow-up visits ranged from 2.4 per cent to 14.8 per cent with a mean of 9 per cent; which corresponds to 2.3 episodes per child per year. There was no statistical difference between safe and unsafe water handling exposure groups in the occurrence of diarrhoea. Religion; site of water collection; time to fetch water; mother's education; type of container; per capita water consumption; and age of the child were found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of diarrhoea. It is concluded that relative to generally inadequate environmental sanitation; water handling practices are not an important contributor to acute childhood diarrhoea
Subject(s)
Diarrhea , Environment , Sanitation , Water Quality , Water SupplyABSTRACT
The problems and prospects in the use of case-control studies to assess the effects of improvements in environmental sanitation on diarrhoea morbidity are discussed on the basis of two field studies. It is concluded that an adequate design is available for assessing the effects of a single improvement on diarrhoeal disease. The estimates of effect appear to be valid and sufficiently precise. For addressing more complex questions of interactions; sample sizes would have to be increased substantially. The experience with two field studies suggests that there is hope that a simpler protocol may be feasible; in which only limited information is collected; in which few home visits are made; and in which analytical techniques are simple. Until more field studies have been conducted definitive conclusions cannot be reached on the applicability of such a simple; rapid and inexpensive approach
Subject(s)
Diarrhea , Sanitation , Water SupplyABSTRACT
A case-control design has been applied in the evaluation of improved environmental sanitation on diarrhoeal diseases in rural Malawi. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using such an approach to evaluate two levels of water supply and sanitation service quickly and at moderate cost. Sample sizes would need to be increased substantially to evaluate multiple levels of service or to investigate interactions between water supply and sanitation. The results indicate that children living in families who use good quality water supplies and latrines experience 20 percent less diarrhoea as reported to the health clinics during the warm; rainy season
Subject(s)
Diarrhea , Malawi , Rural Health , Sanitation , Toilet Facilities , Water Microbiology , Water SupplyABSTRACT
An investigation into the causes of diarrhoea in a village in the lower Shire Valley district of Nsanje. The results of the study and the activities which followed resulted in a decrease in the outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases in the village
Subject(s)
Diarrhea , Sanitation , Water SupplyABSTRACT
The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of flourides and nitrates in the rural water supply of two districts (Gokwe and Chimanimani) of Zimbabwe and to determine the causes and implications of the findings. The findings of the research revealed the existence of the problem of high fluoride levels in drinking water and prevalence of fluorosis in the two districts. As a result of these findings permission was saught (and granted) from the sponsors; International Development Research Centre as well as the Ministry of Health to have a Workshop on the Fluoride and Flourosis component of the study
Subject(s)
Drinking Water , Fluorides , Fluorosis, Dental , Health Resources , Water SupplyABSTRACT
Ce guide constitue un repere pour les techniciens d'hygiene publique; les agents de sante communautaire et l'ensemble des services de sante en Guinee. Ce guide qui se veut pratique a pour objectifs : de donner la priorite a des mesures d'assainissement de base; d'ameliorer l'hygiene individuelle et collective des populations; de proteger les points d'eau et d'ameliorer la qualite de l'eau destinee a la consommation; d'intensifier ou de mettre sur pied des mesures domestiques appropries pour preserver les populations des maladies transmises par les moustiques; arthropodes et autres insectes; et de faire adopter par la collectivite des attitudes et des comportements pouvant les amener a se premunir contre le risque de maladies liees a l'insalubrite du milieu
Subject(s)
Environment , Health Promotion , Sanitation/education , Water SupplyABSTRACT
The IRC supported multi-country project promoted the development of approaches that involved the communities at every stage and provided opportunities for cross-stimulation of ideas and experiences. This paper compares selective aspects of the PSWS project experiences