Information and Persuasion: Achieving Safe Water Behaviors in Kenya

March 15, 2012 · 0 comments

Information and Persuasion: Achieving Safe Water Behaviors in Kenya, 2011.

Jill Luoto, David Levine, Jeff Albert, Aquaya Institute

RAND Working Paper Series No. WR-885

Convincing people to adopt preventive health behaviors consistently is difficult, yet many lives could be saved if we understood better how to do so. For example, low-cost point-of-use (POU) technologies such as chlorine and filters can substantially reduce diarrheal disease (Clasen et al. 2006).

Nonetheless, they are not widely or consistently used anywhere in the developing world, even when widely available. The authors ran a randomized field study in Kenya in which households received free POU products to test the importance of informational and behavioral constraints on usage.

Sharing information about local water quality increases water treatment by 7-10 percentage points (11-24%) above that achieved by providing free products. Persuasive social marketing messages that harness findings from behavioral economics increase water treatment by an additional 9-11 percentage points.

These results suggest promising avenues for incremental improvements in encouraging water treatment (and possibly other preventive health) behaviors. However, repeated exposures may be necessary to sustain behavior change.

WASH Benefits Kenya – opening for Water Analysis Coordinator

March 15, 2012 · 0 comments

WASH Benefits Kenya is currently seeking  a  qualified candidate for a Water Analysis Coordinator position.  We would like to fill this position ASAP and will review applicants on a rolling basis .

Please review  the link below for a detailed description, required qualifications and applicant instructions.
http://www.poverty-action.org/getinvolved/jobs/Africa/IPAKenya100636

Background

  • Project Title: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Benefits (Wash)
  • Deadline to Apply: March 20, 2012 (applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis)
  • Start Date: Immediately
  • Location: Kakamega, Kenya
  • Eligibility: Position open to all nationalities; Kenyan nationals strongly encouraged apply

Job Description:

IPA’s WASH Benefits Project is a five-year study to evaluate the health benefits of sanitation, hygiene, household water treatment and nutrition using a large-scale, randomized evaluation in Western Province. The project will be based out of two satellite offices in Western Province. The principal investigators of WASH benefits are Michael Kremer and Clair Null. The successful candidate for this position will work closely with postdoctoral fellow Amy Pickering, the WASH benefits management team, and local field staff.

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Global Access to Safe Water: Accounting for Water Quality and the Resulting Impact on MDG Progress

March 14, 2012 · 1 comment

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health March 2012, 9(3), 880-894; doi:10.3390/ijerph9030880

Global Access to Safe Water: Accounting for Water Quality and the Resulting Impact on MDG Progress

Kyle Onda , Joe LoBuglio and Jamie Bartram. The Water Institute, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, CB #7431, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA

Monitoring of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) drinking water target relies on classification of water sources as “improved” or “unimproved” as an indicator for water safety. We adjust the current Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) estimate by accounting for microbial water quality and sanitary risk using the only-nationally representative water quality data currently available, that from the WHO and UNICEF “Rapid Assessment of Drinking Water Quality”.

A principal components analysis (PCA) of national environmental and development indicators was used to create models that predicted, for most countries, the proportions of piped and of other-improved water supplies that are faecally contaminated; and of these sources, the proportions that lack basic sanitary protection against contamination. We estimate that 1.8 billion people (28% of the global population) used unsafe water in 2010.

The 2010 JMP estimate is that 783 million people (11%) use unimproved sources. Our estimates revise the 1990 baseline from 23% to 37%, and the target from 12% to 18%, resulting in a shortfall of 10% of the global population towards the MDG target in 2010. In contrast, using the indicator “use of an improved source” suggests that the MDG target for drinking-water has already been achieved.

We estimate that an additional 1.2 billion (18%) use water from sources or systems with significant sanitary risks. While our estimate is imprecise, the magnitude of the estimate and the health and development implications suggest that greater attention is needed to better understand and manage drinking water safety.

CrystalPur Household Water Filters

March 13, 2012 · 1 comment

CrystalPur Household Water Filter

CrystalPur is a newly patented water filter designed by Basic Water Needs Foundation, Netherlands, in collaboration with EnterpriseWorks, a division of Relief International (EW/RI). The filters generate a
positive financial impact on households whether it comes from reduced fuel costs, elimination of the need to
purchase bottled water, or improve health outcomes and lower medical expenses. CrystalPur promises to
save lives by changing the face of worldwide, low-cost, household water treatment.

CrystalPur’s filter is impregnated with nano silver particles for optimal bacterial removal and has been international tested to remove 99.99% of parasites, bacteria and water borne diseases.

Estimated retail price for CrystalPur is US$7 – $10.

Most ceramic filters last between 3-6 months depending on quality of source water. CrystalPur’s back-washing technology allows it to be nearly totally self-cleaning. The CrystalPur Filter is proven to filter over 7,000 litres of water, enough drinking water for four people for one year.

Efficacy of ceramic water purifiers coated with colloidal Ag doped TiO2

March 13, 2012 · 0 comments

Water Science & Technology: Water Supply Vol 12 No 2 pp 133–139 2012

Efficacy of ceramic water purifiers coated with colloidal Ag doped TiO2 against polyaromatic hydrocarbons and pathogens in Sierra Leone

M. L. Hansen, A. Vieira and B. Antizar-Ladislao

Institute for Materials and Processes, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, UK
Email: M.Hansen@.ed.ac.uk
Institute for Infrastructure and Environment, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, UK

With the urgency and demand for access to safe drinking water still present across the developing world this paper assesses the potential for combining the photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) doped with silver (Ag) with the ceramic water purifier (CWP), a simple point of use water treatment device developed by Potters for Peace.

The aim of the work is to provide a low cost, low energy and low environmental impact water treatment solution, suitable for use in rural and peri-urban Sierra Leone. The ability of TiO2 and colloidal Ag to remove humic substances, ubiquitous organic contaminants (PAHs) and pathogens in solution and as a CWP coating has been investigated under similar conditions to those found in Sierra Leone.

This study showed an almost complete removal of Escherichia coli using TiO2, Ag or Ag doped TiO2 coatings (>99%); a high removal (80%) of PAHs in the permeate by CWP coated with Ag doped TiO2, and a removal of 40 and 60% HA in the permeate by CWP coated with Ag and TiO2, respectively.

Household Water Treatment in China – Letters to the editor

March 8, 2012 · 0 comments

Below are links to 2 Letters to the Editor in the March 2012 issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene:

Household Water Treatment in China, Hong Yang, Jim A. Wright, Stephen W. Gundry

Dear Sir:

We read with interest the article by Rosa and Clasen1 about the prevalence of household water treatment in low-income and middle-income countries. They discussed the geographic limitations of their global estimation, especially the lack of data for the largest national population in China. Several surveys covering water and sanitation have been undertaken in China in recent decades, such as the World Health Survey, the Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000, and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. These survey results have already been included in the World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund Joint Monitoring Program report. However, none of these survey questionnaires covered household water treatment.

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In Response, Ghislaine Rosa, Thomas Clasen

Dear Sir:

The letter by Yang, Wright, and Gundry1 provides valuable information about the scope of household water treatment practices in China, thereby adding to our previous estimates.2 As more countries include questions on water treatment practices to their household surveys as recommended by the World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund Joint Monitoring Program for Water and Sanitation, we can expect to fill in other gaps in our knowledge about the coverage of household water treatment.

As we noted in our report, however, we urge caution in relying on these estimates or attempting to project their impact on health.

Rethinking Indicators of Microbial Drinking Water Quality

March 8, 2012 · 0 comments

Am Jnl Trop Med Hyg, March 2012

Rethinking Indicators of Microbial Drinking Water Quality for Health Studies in Tropical Developing Countries: Case Study in Northern Coastal Ecuador

Karen Levy*, Kara L. Nelson, Alan Hubbard and Joseph N. S. Eisenberg

To address the problem of the health impacts of unsafe drinking water, methods are needed to assess microbiologic contamination in water. However, indicators of water quality have provided mixed results. We evaluate five assays (three for Escherichia coli and one each for enterococci and somatic coliphage) of microbial contamination in villages in rural Ecuador that rely mostly on untreated drinking water. Only membrane filtration for E. coli using mI agar detected a significant association with household diarrheal disease outcome (odds ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.02–1.65 in household containers and odds ratio = 1.18, 95% confidence interval = 1.02–1.37) in source samples.

Our analysis and other published research points to the need for further consideration of study design factors, such as sample size and variability in measurements, when using indicator organisms, especially when relating water quality exposure to health outcomes. Although indicator organisms are used extensively in health studies, we argue that their use requires a full understanding of their purposes and limitations.

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Author Info
Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California; Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Berkeley, California; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Authors’ addresses: Karen Levy, Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, E-mail: karen.levy@emory.edu. Kara L. Nelson, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, E-mail: nelson@ce.berkeley.edu. Alan Hubbard, Division of Biostatistics, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, E-mail: hubbard@stat.berkeley.edu. Joseph N. S. Eisenberg, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, E-mail: jnse@umich.edu.

*Address correspondence to Karen Levy, Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322. E-mail: karen.levy@emory.edu

Water For People – Private Sector Provision of Rural Water Services

March 7, 2012 · 0 comments

Private Sector Provision of Rural Water Services, 2012.

Tim Foster. Water For People.

The private sector offers a promising pathway to improve the provision of water services in rural areas.

In light of the recognised deficiencies of community-based management, the potential for market-based solutions ought to be fully considered and tested.

This review provides an overview of the different business models that have been deployed in the field, evaluates the prevalence of these approaches, and summarises the lessons learned.

JMP – Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation: 2012 Update

March 7, 2012 · 0 comments

Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation: 2012 Update.

WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation.

Since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals, the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation has reported on progress towards achieving Target 7c: reducing by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

This report contains the  welcome announcement that, as of 2010, the target for drinking water has been met. Since 1990, more than 2 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water sources. This achievement is a testament to the commitment of Government leaders, public and private sector entities, communities and individuals who saw the target not as a dream, but as a vital step towards improving health and well-being.

Of course, much work remains to be done. There are still 780 million people without access to an improved drinking water source. And even though 1.8 billion people have gained access to improved sanitation since 1990, the world remains off track for the sanitation target.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Looking Forward, Looking Back

Global Drinking Water Trends 1990-2010

  • Progress Towards the MDG Target
  • Regional Trends
  • An Alternative Indicator of Progress
  • Urban-Rural Disparities

Global Sanitation Trends 1990-2010

  • Progress Towards the MDG Target
  • Regional Trends
  • An Alternative Indicator of Progress
  • Urban-Rural Disparities

The Equity Imperative

  • Looking Beyond Averages
  • Water & Sanitation Use in Least Developed Countries
  • Water & Sanitation Use by Wealth Quintiles
  • Gender and the Burden of Collecting Water

JMP Methodology and What Lies Ahead

  • JMP Estimates
  • Growth of the JMP Database
  • Data Limitations
  • Data Reconciliation
  • JMP Task Forces
  • Looking Beyond 2015

Statistical Tables

  • Country, Regional and Global Estimates on Water & Sanitation
  • Annex: Trends In Urban and Rural Water Supply Coverage
  • Millennium Development Goals: Regional Groupings

When urban taps run dry: Sachet water consumption and health effects

March 6, 2012 · 0 comments

Health Place. 2012 Mar;18(2):250-62.

When urban taps run dry: Sachet water consumption and health effects in low income neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana.

Stoler J, Fink G, Weeks JR, Otoo RA, Ampofo JA, Hill AG. Department of Geography, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.

Intraurban differentials in safe drinking water in developing cities have been exacerbated by rapid population growth that exceeds expansion of local water infrastructure. In Accra, Ghana, municipal water is rationed to meet demand, and the gap in water services is increasingly being filled by private water vendors selling packaged “sachet” water. Sachets extend drinking water coverage deeper into low-income areas and alleviate the need for safe water storage, potentially introducing a health benefit over stored tap water.

We explore correlates of using sachets as the primary drinking water source for 2093 women in 37 census areas classified as slums by UN-Habitat, and links between sachet water and reported diarrhea episodes in a subset of 810 children under five. We find that neighborhood rationing exerts a strong effect on a household’s likelihood of buying sachet water, and that sachet customers tend to be the poorest of the poor.

Sachet use is also associated with higher levels of self-reported overall health in women, and lower likelihood of diarrhea in children. We conclude with implications for sachet regulation in Accra and other sub-Saharan cities facing drinking water shortages.

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