scholarly journals Drinking water quality and human dimensions of cholera patients to inform evidence-based prevention investment in Karonga District, Malawi

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 2079-2087
Author(s):  
Prince Kaponda ◽  
Suresh Muthukrishnan ◽  
Rory Barber ◽  
Rochelle H. Holm
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Human Dimensions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
Thermotolerant Coliforms ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Cholera remains a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Malawi. Our aim was to investigate drinking water source quality compared with water treatment, risk perception and cholera knowledge for patients who had reported to a health center for treatment in the 2017–2018 outbreak in Karonga District, Malawi. The study analyzed 120 drinking water samples linked to 236 cholera patients. Nearly 82% of the samples met the national criteria for thermotolerant coliforms of 50 cfu/100 ml, while 50% met the more stringent World Health Organization criteria of 0 cfu/100 ml. In terms of the human dimensions, 68% of survey respondents reported that they treated their water, while knowledge of prevention, transmission and treatment of cholera was also generally high. However, of the 32 patients whose drinking water sources had thermotolerant coliforms of 200+ cfu/100 ml, seven reported they felt a low or no personal risk for contracting cholera in the future and their community was extremely well prepared for another outbreak. The cost of a reactive response to cholera outbreaks puts a burden on Malawi, providing an opportunity for investment in innovative and localized preventive strategies to control and eliminate the risk of cholera while acknowledging social and cultural norms.

scholarly journals Assessment of accessibility of safe drinking water: A case study of the Goreangab informal settlement, Windhoek, Namibia

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 871-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Earl Wesley Lewis ◽  
Nguza Siyambango ◽  
Selma Lendelvo
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Accessibility ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Water accessibility in informal settlements remains a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study water accessibility in the Goreangab informal settlement, Windhoek, Namibia was analyzed. Semi-structured (n – 105) and key informant interviews (n – 3) were conducted. Long distances and financial constraints are the main reasons for poor water accessibility. Only 11% of residents live within 1 km of a safe drinking water source, the recommended safe distance by the World Health Organization on minimum water access standards. Considering local factors, incorporating an integrated water resource management framework and a public–private partnership is suggested to improve the settlement's water supply management.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of the Incremental Costs of Implementing a New Vaccine in the Expanded Program of Immunization in Sub-Saharan Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 238146831989454
Author(s):  
Joe Brew ◽  
Christophe Sauboin
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Interquartile Range ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Vaccine Type ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Cost

Background. The World Health Organization is planning a pilot introduction of a new malaria vaccine in three sub-Saharan African countries. To inform considerations about including a new vaccine in the vaccination program of those and other countries, estimates from the scientific literature of the incremental costs of doing so are important. Methods. A systematic review of scientific studies reporting the costs of recent vaccine programs in sub-Saharan countries was performed. The focus was to obtain from each study an estimate of the cost per dose of vaccine administered excluding the acquisition cost of the vaccine and wastage. Studies published between 2000 and 2018 and indexed on PubMed could be included and results were standardized to 2015 US dollars (US$). Results. After successive screening of 2119 titles, and 941 abstracts, 58 studies with 80 data points (combinations of country, vaccine type, and vaccination approach–routine v. campaign) were retained. Most studies used the so-called ingredients approach as costing method combining field data collection with documented unit prices per cost item. The categorization of cost items and the extent of detailed reporting varied widely. Across the studies, the mean and median cost per dose administered was US$1.68 and US$0.88 with an interquartile range of US$0.54 to US$2.31. Routine vaccination was more costly than campaigns, with mean cost per dose of US$1.99 and US$0.88, respectively. Conclusion. Across the studies, there was huge variation in the cost per dose delivered, between and within countries, even in studies using consistent data collection tools and analysis methods, and including many health facilities. For planning purposes, the interquartile range of US$0.54 to US$2.31 may be a sufficiently precise estimate.

scholarly journals Optimal frequency of rabies vaccination campaigns in Sub-Saharan Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1842) ◽  
pp. 20161211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa M. Bilinski ◽  
Meagan C. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Charles E. Rupprecht ◽  
A. David Paltiel ◽  
Alison P. Galvani
Keyword(s):  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Transmission Model ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Vaccination Campaigns ◽  
Monetary Savings ◽  
Rabies Vaccination

Rabies causes more than 24 000 human deaths annually in Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health Organization recommends annual canine vaccination campaigns with at least 70% coverage to control the disease. While previous studies have considered optimal coverage of animal rabies vaccination, variation in the frequency of vaccination campaigns has not been explored. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of rabies canine vaccination campaigns at varying coverage and frequency, we parametrized a rabies virus transmission model to two districts of northwest Tanzania, Ngorongoro (pastoral) and Serengeti (agro-pastoral). We found that optimal vaccination strategies were every 2 years, at 80% coverage in Ngorongoro and annually at 70% coverage in Serengeti. We further found that the optimality of these strategies was sensitive to the rate of rabies reintroduction from outside the district. Specifically, if a geographically coordinated campaign could reduce reintroduction, vaccination campaigns every 2 years could effectively manage rabies in both districts. Thus, coordinated campaigns may provide monetary savings in addition to public health benefits. Our results indicate that frequency and coverage of canine vaccination campaigns should be evaluated simultaneously and tailored to local canine ecology as well as to the risk of disease reintroduction from surrounding regions.

scholarly journals A Partial Environmental Engineering Management Study of Open Dump Site and Its Impact on Land and Water

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 1247-1234
Author(s):  
Kelechi Uchenna Ugoji ◽  
Abba Ibim Green ◽  
Ruth Ngozi Nmoye ◽  
Ndukam Billy Igbere
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Environmental Engineering ◽  
World Health ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
Dump Site ◽  
Health Organization

This research appraises in partial the environmental engineering effects of open dumpsite with peripheral study of the dumpsite at km 3 Aba-Enugu Expressway in Abia State southeast of Nigeria. The investigation includes visual assessment, interviews / questionnaires results, and analysis. The study reveals that the waste dump serves as a sink to many parts of Aba metropolis being one of the biggest dumpsites in Abia state. The sand value of 47.7% obtained from the study agrees with existing literature/hydrogeology of the area. Results proved that the ground water is safe as samples display quality, which are below the Nigerian standards for drinking water quality limit. These values also fall below the World Health Organization (WHO) water quality limit so the residents around do not stand any health risk at the moment. However, increasing concentration of pollutants indicates that the Soil and probably the potential drinking water source may be contaminated with time, supporting existing study. Therefore, this research recommends a well-engineered waste management plan alongside Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) cradle-to-grave approach to management of open dumpsite.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Hand-dug Wells in Rural Haiti

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley E. Schram ◽  
Peter J. Wampler
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
World Health ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Filter Pack ◽  
Dug Wells ◽  
Health Organization

Water resources, especially safe, potable water, are limited for many Haitians.  In areas where shallow groundwater is available, many household water needs such as laundry, bathing, and cooking are supplied by hand-dug wells. In order to better understand the water quality and prevalence of these household wells, 35 hand-dug wells were surveyed and sampled near the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) in Deschapelles, Haiti. Water samples were collected and tested for fecal coliform and E. coli using the IDEXX Colilert-18 method. Of the samples collected, 89 percent were determined unsafe to use as a drinking water source based on the World Health Organization standard of 1.0 colony-forming unit (cfu) Escherichia Coli (E. coli) per 100 mL. 66 percent of the wells exceeded recreational/body contact standards for the state of Michigan (130 cfu/100 mL). Some of these wells were deemed suitable for conversion to a new well type called In-Situ Filtration (ISF) wells. ISF wells are installed with an internal sand filter pack, PVC casing, pump, and cap which seals the well from surface contamination and provides additional water treatment as water is pumped. Previous ISF installations have reduced E. coli to safe drinking water levels within 90 days.

scholarly journals Groundwater arsenic in Chimaltenango, Guatemala

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 533-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason T. Lotter ◽  
Steven E. Lacey ◽  
Ramon Lopez ◽  
Genaro Socoy Set ◽  
Amid P. Khodadoust ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Inorganic Arsenic ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Average Concentration ◽  
World Health ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
The Usa ◽  
System Data ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Health Organization

In the Municipality of Chimaltenango, Guatemala, we sampled groundwater for total inorganic arsenic. In total, 42 samples were collected from 27 (43.5%) of the 62 wells in the municipality, with sites chosen to achieve spatial representation throughout the municipality. Samples were collected from household faucets used for drinking water, and sent to the USA for analysis. The only site found to have a concentration above the 10 μg/L World Health Organization provisional guideline for arsenic in drinking water was Cerro Alto, where the average concentration was 47.5 μg/L. A health risk assessment based on the arsenic levels found in Cerro Alto showed an increase in noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for residents as a result of consuming groundwater as their primary drinking water source. Using data from the US Geological Survey and our global positioning system data of the sample locations, we found Cerro Alto to be the only site sampled within the tertiary volcanic rock layer, a known source of naturally occurring arsenic. Recommendations were made to reduce the levels of arsenic found in the community's drinking water so that the health risks can be managed.

scholarly journals Physico-chemical quality of drinking water in the Njoro sub-county in Kenya

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-507
Author(s):  
Philip Ruciaka Kirianki ◽  
Edward Muchiri ◽  
Natasha Potgieter
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Water Source ◽  
World Health ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Storage Container ◽  
Standard Assessment ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Njoro sub-county in Kenya suffers from constant water shortages causing the residents to rely on both improved and unimproved water sources in the area. The households in the sub-county also use different household storage containers to store drinking water in times when water is not readily available. This study was therefore undertaken to assess selective physico-chemical parameters of water used by the population for drinking purposes using standard assessment methods. A total of 372 water source samples and 162 storage container water samples were tested over a period of three months. Turbidity (0.70–273.85 NTU), iron (0.7–2.10 mg/L), fluoride (0.15–4.01 mg/L), manganese (0.01–0.37 mg/L), and nitrate (0.09–27.90 mg/L) levels in water samples were generally higher than the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and/or the World Health Organization (WHO) water quality recommendations for safe drinkable water. The results from this study support the need for continuous monitoring and treating drinking water at the points of collection and of consumption to minimize the long-term health effects on communities consuming this water.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between the Global Burden of Influenza From 2017 to 2019 and COVID-19: Descriptive Epidemiological Assessment (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan David Baral ◽  
Katherine Blair Rucinski ◽  
Jean Olivier Twahirwa Rwema ◽  
Amrita Rao ◽  
Neia Prata Menezes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Respiratory Pathogens ◽  
Modes Of Transmission ◽  
The World ◽  
Influenza Activity ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization

BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 and influenza are lipid-enveloped viruses with differential morbidity and mortality but shared modes of transmission. OBJECTIVE With a descriptive epidemiological framing, we assessed whether recent historical patterns of regional influenza burden are reflected in the observed heterogeneity in COVID-19 cases across regions of the world. METHODS Weekly surveillance data reported by the World Health Organization from January 2017 to December 2019 for influenza and from January 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020, for COVID-19 were used to assess seasonal and temporal trends for influenza and COVID-19 cases across the seven World Bank regions. RESULTS In regions with more pronounced influenza seasonality, COVID-19 epidemics have largely followed trends similar to those seen for influenza from 2017 to 2019. COVID-19 epidemics in countries across Europe, Central Asia, and North America have been marked by a first peak during the spring, followed by significant reductions in COVID-19 cases in the summer months and a second wave in the fall. In Latin America and the Caribbean, COVID-19 epidemics in several countries peaked in the summer, corresponding to months with the highest influenza activity in the region. Countries from regions with less pronounced influenza activity, including South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, showed more heterogeneity in COVID-19 epidemics seen to date. However, similarities in COVID-19 and influenza trends were evident within select countries irrespective of region. CONCLUSIONS Ecological consistency in COVID-19 trends seen to date with influenza trends suggests the potential for shared individual, structural, and environmental determinants of transmission. Using a descriptive epidemiological framework to assess shared regional trends for rapidly emerging respiratory pathogens with better studied respiratory infections may provide further insights into the differential impacts of nonpharmacologic interventions and intersections with environmental conditions. Ultimately, forecasting trends and informing interventions for novel respiratory pathogens like COVID-19 should leverage epidemiologic patterns in the relative burden of past respiratory pathogens as prior information.

scholarly journals COMPLIANCE OF COMMERCIAL BLEACHES AND STABILITY OF 1 G/L-DILUTIONS USING DIFFERENT SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER

2020 ◽  
pp. 231-236
Author(s):  
María Emilia Gavelli ◽  
Laura Carolina Luciani Giacobbe ◽  
Carolina Bustos Fierro ◽  
María Eugenia Olivera
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Healthcare Setting ◽  
Chlorine Concentration ◽  
Active Chlorine ◽  
World Health ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Different Sources

Introduction and objectives: In the context of COVID-19, the World Health Organization has recommended the use of extemporaneously prepared bleach solutions of 1 g/L, as a conservative concentration able to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and the vast majority of other pathogens that may be present in the healthcare setting. Consequently, there is a renewed interest in conducting stability studies of these solutions. The goal of this work was to verify the available chlorine concentration in several bleach solutions trademarks and to propose a beyond use date for 1 g/L bleach solutions, obtained after dilution with drinking water from different sources. Methods: Bleach trademarks, with nominal concentrations between 25-60 g/L, were subjected to iodometric titration to determine the available chlorine concentration. One trademark was used to prepare 1 g/L dilutions using water from different purification plants in Córdoba, Argentina. The samples were stored at room-temperature, both exposed or protected from light. The available chlorine concentration was determined by titration at preestablished time intervals. The beyond use date was reached when the available chlorine concentration dropped below 90 % of its initial. Results: The concentration of active chlorine in the different trademark bleaches was within the values established by current regulations. Diluted solutions protected from light showed a decrease of less than 10 % in active chlorine concentration during the first 10 days of assay. However, one sample exceeded the acceptance limit after 14 days. In contrast, in the samples exposed to light, the concentration of active chlorine dropped to 96.4 % at 24 hours and 79.3 % after 48 hours. No differences related to drinking water sources were observed. Conclusions: Compliance of the nominal available chlorine concentration in trademark bleach solutions was confirmed. Regardless the water source used for dilution, 1 g/L bleach solutions were stable for 10 days when stored at room temperature and protected from light. Instead, solutions exposed to light maintain their available chlorine concentration for only 24 hours.

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