Bringing safe water to remote populations: An evaluation of a portable point-of-use intervention in rural Madagascar

P.K. Ram, E. Kelsey, Rasoatiana, R.R. Miarintsoa, O. Rakotomalala, C. Dunston and R.E. Quick

American Journal of Public Health, 2007, vol. 97, issue 3, 398-400

Abstract: Rural populations disproportionately lack access to improved water supplies. We evaluated a novel scheme that employed community-based sales agents to disseminate the Safe Water System (SWS) - a household-level water chlorination and safe storage intervention - in rural Madagascar. Respondents from 242 households in 4 villages were interviewed; all used surface water for drinking water. Respondents from 239 households (99%) had heard of Sûr'Eau, the SWS disinfectant; 226 (95%) reported having ever used Sûr'Eau, and 166 (73%) reported current use. Current Sûr'Eau use was confirmed in 54% of households. Community sales agents effectively motivated their neighbors to adopt a new health behavior that prevents diarrhea. Future work should focus on strategies for sustaining SWS use, factors that motivate community-based sales agents to promote SWS, and the feasibility of scaling up this approach.

Date: 2007
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2005.073460_5

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.073460

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