Safe Water System Reduces Diarrhea

“Safe Water System Reduces Diarrhea” describes an intervention that improves water and food handling, sanitation and hygiene practices. The intervention promotes use of a chlorine solution to disinfect water, along with proper water storage habits. Its ultimate goal is to reduce diarrheal diseases in children under five and other vulnerable populations. This approach is appropriate for use in the developing world, and has reduced users’ diarrheal incidents by 22-84%.

The Safe Water System (SWS) promotes use of a chlorine solution to disinfect water, along with proper water storage habits to reduce diarrhea.

Using the SWS is cheaper than boiling water, the only method previously used for water treatment. Aside from being time consuming, boiling water is extremely expensive. One day’s supply of charcoal costs more than one month’s supply of chlorine solution.

SWS gave participants free sodium hypochlorite solution, and taught them about safe water storage. In addition, it offered them the opportunity to purchase a special disinfection vessel.

By the end of the study:
100% of the intervention group reported they knew how to prevent diarrhea
95% named water treatment as a preventative method
93% were able to state the correct dosage of disinfectant
89% were using a safe water storage technique

During weekly home visits over a 3-month period, compliance was high. For example, 97% of participating households reported disinfecting and 72-95% had measurable chlorine in their water. Further, the proportion that engaged in safe water storage practices increased from 42% to 89%. And the risk of diarrhea (when compared to the control group) was reduced by 48%.

The full case study is titled, “Safe Water System.” Access it at https://www.thensmc.com/resources/showcase/safe-water-system. It is published as part of the UK National Social Marketing Center’s Showcase website.

Zambia

Safe Water, Water safety, Diarrhea, Diarrhoea,