Community health assessment: Planning, evaluating, and implementing a water system in rural Dominican Republic

Purpose: Conduct a community health assessment to plan, evaluate, and implement a water system in rural Dominican Republic. Background: More than one billion people do not have access to clean water. Water-related diseases are the leading cause of death in the world and are responsible for 80 percent of all sickness in the world. Methods: In-home surveys with heads of household in rural Dominican Republic will be conducted in May 2008 to determine social and behavioral determinants of health such as hygiene and sanitation, sexual behaviors, and quality of life. STATA and public health records will be used to further analyze findings. Results: A pre-health assessment survey conducted in March 2007 found that households that boiled water had less prevalence of disease. Conclusions: The implementation of a water system will decrease the prevalence of disease associated with poor water quality and access. Health education programs to provide the community with better understanding on the spread of water-borne disease are of essence for the new water system to be more effective.