scholarly journals Health gains from solar water disinfection (SODIS): evaluation of a water quality intervention in Yaoundé, Cameroon

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 779-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürg Graf ◽  
Serge Zebaze Togouet ◽  
Norbert Kemka ◽  
Domitille Niyitegeka ◽  
Regula Meierhofer ◽  
...  

In developing countries, the burden of diarrhoea is still enormous. One way to reduce transmission of pathogens is by water quality interventions. Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a low-cost and simple method to improve drinking water quality on household level. This paper evaluates the implementation of SODIS in slum areas of Yaoundé, Cameroon. Promoters trained 2,911 households in the use of SODIS. Two surveys with randomly selected households were conducted before (N = 2,193) and after (N = 783) the intervention. Using a questionnaire, interviewers collected information on the health status of children under five, on liquid consumption, hygiene and other issues. Prior to the intervention, diarrhoea prevalence amounted to 34.3% among children. After the intervention, it remained stable in the control group (31.8%) but dropped to 22.8% in the intervention group. Households fully complying with the intervention exhibited even less diarrhoea prevalence (18.3%) and diarrhoea risk could be reduced by 42.5%. Multivariate analyses revealed that the intervention effects are also observed when other diarrhoea risk factors, such as hygiene and cleanliness of household surroundings, are considered. According to the data, adoption of the method was associated with marital status. Findings suggest health benefits from SODIS use. Further promotional activities in low-income settings are recommended.

2006 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Heri ◽  
Hans-Joachim Mosler

This study examines a broad array of theory-based factors derived from diffusion research that affect the current and intended use of solar water disinfection (SODIS), a simple, low-cost technology for treating drinking water at the household level. The perceived attributes of an innovation, the nature of the social system in which it is diffused, the extent of change agents' promotional efforts in diffusing it, and the nature of the communication channels used were operationalized by 16 variables. The aim of the study is to determine the influence of each factor and its predictive power. Eight areas in Bolivia were visited, and 644 families were interviewed on the basis of a structured questionnaire. Simultaneous multiple regression analysis showed that 9 of the 16 factors derived from diffusion research contributed significantly to predicting the current use of SODIS. The implications of the findings for customizing future SODIS diffusion activities are outlined.


Parasitology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. GÓMEZ-COUSO ◽  
M. FONTÁN-SAINZ ◽  
J. FERNÁNDEZ-ALONSO ◽  
E. ARES-MAZÁS

SUMMARYSpecies belonging to the generaCryptosporidiumare recognized as waterborne pathogens. Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a simple method that involves the use of solar radiation to destroy pathogenic microorganisms that cause waterborne diseases. A notable increase in water temperature and the existence of a large number of empty or partially excysted (i.e. unviable) oocysts have been observed in previous SODIS studies with water experimentally contaminated withCryptosporidium parvumoocysts under field conditions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the temperatures that can be reached during exposure of water samples to natural sunlight (37–50°C), on the excystation ofC. parvumin the absence of other stimuli. In samples exposed to 40–48°C, a gradual increase in the percentage of excystation was observed as the time of exposure increased and a maximum of 53·81% of excystation was obtained on exposure of the water to a temperature of 46°C for 12 h (versus8·80% initial isolate). Under such conditions, the oocyst infectivity evaluated in a neonatal murine model decreased statistically with respect to the initial isolate (19·38%versus100%). The results demonstrate the important effect of the temperature on the excystation ofC. parvumand therefore on its viability and infectivity.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 2193 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Inmaculada Polo-López ◽  
Azahara Martínez-García ◽  
Maria Jesus Abeledo-Lameiro ◽  
Hipolito H. Gómez-Couso ◽  
Elvira E. Ares-Mazás ◽  
...  

Background: Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is an appropriate technology for household treatment of drinking water in low-to-middle-income communities, as it is effective, low cost and easy to use. Nevertheless, uptake is low due partially to the burden of using small volume polyethylene terephthalate bottles (1.5–2 L). A major challenge is to develop a low-cost transparent container for disinfecting larger volumes of water. (2) Methods: This study examines the capability of transparent polypropylene (PP) buckets of 5 L- and 20 L- volume as SODIS containers using three waterborne pathogen indicators: Escherichia coli, MS2-phage and Cryptosporidium parvum. (3) Results: Similar inactivation kinetics were observed under natural sunlight for the inactivation of all three organisms in well water using 5 L- and 20 L-buckets compared to 1.5 L-polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) bottles. The PP materials were exposed to natural and accelerated solar ageing (ISO-16474). UV transmission of the 20 L-buckets remained stable and with physical integrity even after the longest ageing periods (9 months or 900 h of natural or artificial solar UV exposure, respectively). The 5 L-buckets were physically degraded and lost significant UV-transmission, due to the thinner wall compared to the 20 L-bucket. (4) Conclusion: This work demonstrates that the 20 L SODIS bucket technology produces excellent bacterial, viral and protozoan inactivation and is obtained using a simple transparent polypropylene bucket fabricated locally at very low cost ($2.90 USD per unit). The increased bucket volume of 20 L allows for a ten-fold increase in treatment batch volume and can thus more easily provide for the drinking water requirements of most households. The use of buckets in households across low to middle income countries is an already accepted practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 419 ◽  
pp. 129889
Author(s):  
José Moreno-SanSegundo ◽  
Stefanos Giannakis ◽  
Sofia Samoili ◽  
Giulio Farinelli ◽  
Kevin G. McGuigan ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 399 ◽  
pp. 125852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángela García-Gil ◽  
Rafael Valverde ◽  
Rafael A. García-Muñoz ◽  
Kevin G. McGuigan ◽  
Javier Marugán

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 1069-1075
Author(s):  
Janet R. Serwint ◽  
Modena E. H. Wilson ◽  
Judith W. Vogelhut ◽  
John T. Repke ◽  
Henry M. Seidel

Background. Prenatal pediatric visits have been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics to allow the pediatrician to counsel parents on infant care issues, establish a supportive relationship, and provide pediatric practice information to parents. We hypothesized that prenatal pediatric visits would have an impact on breastfeeding decisions, health care behaviors, health care utilization, and the doctor-patient relationship. Methods. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of prenatal pediatric visits for urban, low-income families to measure the impact on breastfeeding decisions, infant car safety seat use, circumcision, health maintenance, and emergency room visits and the pediatrician's perception that he/she would know the mother better. Pregnant women were recruited prenatally from the obstetrics clinic. Outcomes were measured by maternal interview prenatally and when the infant was 2 months old, in addition to review of the nursery record. Physicians were interviewed after the 2-month visit. Health care utilization was measured by chart review at 7 months. Results. A total of 156 pregnant women were enrolled and randomized, 81 to the intervention group and 75 to the control group. Of mothers who breastfed, 45% in the intervention group changed their mind in favor of breastfeeding after enrollment compared with 14% in the control group. Mothers in the intervention group compared with the control group were more likely to make fewer emergency room visits, 0.58 compared with 1.0. Pediatricians were more likely to think that they knew mothers in the intervention group well, 54% versus 29% in the control group, yet 67% of mothers in both groups agreed their pediatrician knew them well. There were no differences between groups in initiation or duration of breastfeeding at 30 or 60 days, infant car safety seat use, circumcision, or health maintenance visits. Conclusions. Prenatal pediatric visits have potential impact on a variety of health care outcomes. Among urban, low-income mothers, we found beneficial effects on breastfeeding decisions, a decrease in emergency department visits, and an initial impact on the doctor-patient relationship. We suggest urban practices actively promote prenatal pediatric visits.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paloma Ozores Diez ◽  
M. Inmaculada Polo-López ◽  
Azahara Martínez-García ◽  
Monique Waso ◽  
Brandon Reyneke ◽  
...  

Abstract Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a cost-effective point of use method for disinfecting water, usually in a 2 L polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle. To increase the volume of water disinfected, three novel transparent reactors were developed using PET in 25 L transparent jerrycans, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in tubular solar reactors capable of delivering >20 L of water and polypropylene (PP) in 20 L buckets. In vitro bioassays were used to investigate any toxic substances leached from the plastic reactors into disinfected water as a result of exposure to sunshine for up to 9 months. The Ames test was used to test for mutagenicity and the E-screen bioassay to test for estrogenicity. No mutagenicity was detected in any sample and no estrogenicity was found in the SODIS treated water produced by the PMMA reactors or the PP buckets. While water disinfected using the PET reactors showed no estrogenicity following exposure to the sun for 3 and 6 months, estrogenicity was detected following 9 months' exposure to sunlight; however levels detected were within the acceptable daily intake for 17β-estradiol (E2) of up to 50 ng/kg body weight/day.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ameer Muhammad ◽  
Yasir Shafiq ◽  
M Imran Nisar ◽  
Benazir Baloch ◽  
Amna Tanweer Yazdani ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundGlobally, 45% of under-five deaths are, directly or indirectly, attributable to malnutrition, most of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Children in the first 6 months of life are particularly vulnerable. An estimated 4.7 million infants under the age of 6 months are moderately wasted whereas 3.8 million are severely wasted. Despite the increased risk to a child of a mother with nutritional decompensation, there are discrepancies in guidance in this area. MethodsThis is a community-based, open-label factorial randomized controlled trial, using parallel assignment with 1:1:1 allocation ratio, in low-income squatter settlements of urban Karachi, Pakistan. In the control group (Arm A), women are randomized to standard counseling only; whereas in the first intervention group (Arm B), lactating women receive two sachets of balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplementation per day from enrollment till the infant reaches six months of age, in the second intervention group (Arm C), lactating women receive same BEP as in intervention Arm B while their babies also receive a single stat dose (20mg/kg orally) of azithromycin at 42 days. The primary outcome is relative length velocity from 0 to 6 months by the limb of allocation. The primary analysis will be Intention-to-treat analysisTrial registrationRegistration of the trial is done at ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT03564652, registered on June 21, 2018. Trial registration data is available through https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03564652


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