Recorded presentation

Gilbert Burnham, MD, PhD¹, Lynnette Olembo, MPH¹, Fred Kona², and Eckhard Kleinau, Dr PH, MD³. (1) Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-955-7934, gburnham@jhsph.edu, (2) Mwengu Social and Health Research Centre, Zambia, Ndola, Zambia, (3) Environmental Health ProjectII (EHP), 1611 N. Kent St., Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209

The efficacy of point-of-use (POU) chemical treatment of drinking water combined with safe water storage has been shown to result in a lower prevalence of acute diarrhea in households using these technologies. However, program effectiveness of household water treatment is not equally well documented, especially whether households with the lowest access to improved water sources and at highest risk of diarrhea are using these technologies in significant numbers. Results will be presented from a study conducted in Zambia in 2004 that measured the use of household chlorination of drinking water by population groups with dissimilar access to improved water sources and at different health risk from unsafe drinking water. The Safe Water System is implemented by the Society for Family Health (SFH), Population Services International (PSI)'s local affiliate Key findings include behaviors related to point-of-use water chlorination and hygiene; the effectiveness of social marketing and communication channels; and factors that would transform non-users into users. The study also examined the variations in people’s perception of risk and use of household chlorination between the dry and rainy seasons, which also represent the low and high risk season for childhood diarrhea, by using retrospective data collected during a household survey. Associations between point-of-use water treatment, hygiene behaviors and health outcomes were analyzed while controlling for access to improved water and sanitation and socioeconomic characteristics of households.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will gain a solid understanding of the three most important interventions to prevent childhood diarrhea and the programmatic challenges associated with their implementation.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation