Honduras is one of the many countries in the world that has been plagued by unsafe drinking water. Due to problems such as pollution, climate change, deforestation, a corrupt government, a poor economy, and violence, large swaths of the population do not have access to clean drinking water. The Covid pandemic along with Hurricanes Eta and Iota only exacerbated the crisis. But luckily, a non-profit organization called Goodjustice and the VF100 Home Filter are here to help. 

The Situation in Honduras

According to the National Survey of Demography and Health, only 50% of households in Honduras have access to drinking water free of E. Coli. Rural communities in Honduras are disproportionately affected by the water crisis due to economic hardships as well as poor education and lack of health care. Many rural workers leave their agricultural jobs to travel to urban areas where they have a better chance of finding clean drinking water. The agricultural industry is integral to Honduras, so when workers leave their jobs, it puts a strain on the entire economy, creating a vicious cycle in which clean water becomes even harder to come by.

Waterborne Diseases

Water tainted with E. Coli causes symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pains. It can also cause serious illness, or even death, in the elderly and in children under five years of age. E. Coli is not the only disease found in the drinking water in Honduras. Another common pathogen that contaminates the waters in Honduras is Legionella, which can cause Pontiac fever and Legionnaires’ disease. Pontiac fever is a mild respiratory disease that usually doesn’t require treatment. Legionnaires’ disease, on the other hand, is more severe. It is a serious type of pneumonia that is characterized by cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches, shortness of breath, and sometimes diarrhea, nausea, and confusion. Unlike Pontiac fever, it usually has to be treated with antibiotics. 

Business Connect — a company that strives to provide people with filters and other products that make clean drinking water accessible — influenced a case study entitled “Technology Spotlight: VF100 Filters in Action.” According to the study, a staggering 73.11% of surveyed households experienced adverse symptoms from drinking contaminated water. The adverse symptoms included cough, headache, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, and skin rash. A cough was reported by 29.85% of households; 16.17% of households reported a headache; 12.82% experienced a sore throat; 8.78% reported diarrhea; vomiting was present in 3.64% of households; and 1.85% of households reported a skin rash.    

The Decrease in Illness

To remedy the situation in Honduras, Goodjustice stepped in. Goodjustice is a non-profit organization that has been helping impoverished communities and has been doing so for twenty years. The company deployed 1,687 VF100 Home Water Filters to people in Honduras throughout 2022 and 2023. The VF100 Home Water Filter is a 0.1 micron filter that removes bacteria, parasites, and protozoan cysts. One can attach it to any plastic bucket, and it will provide clean drinking water within minutes. It’s easy to clean and durable, lasting for years after one purchases it.

After the distribution of the VF100 Filters throughout Honduras, adverse symptoms dropped significantly. After two weeks, the percentage of households free of symptoms was at 45.59%, and that number climbed to 50.2% after eight weeks. The most common adverse symptom was a cough, and the percentage of households with that symptom decreased from 29.85% to 23.21% after two weeks. And after eight weeks, that number dropped to a mere 12.49%. Diarrhea — a common symptom caused by waterborne pathogens and the third leading cause of death in children under five years of age — decreased from 8.78% to a measly 1.03% after eight weeks. Vomiting also decreased from 3.64% to 2.73% after eight weeks. 

Headaches, sore throats, and skin rashes, however, increased slightly over the course of the study. After eight weeks, headaches increased from 16.17% to 17.82%; sore throats increased from 12.82% to 13.08%; and skin rashes went up from 1.85% to 2.64%. The slight rise in these symptoms is peculiar to say the least, but the fact that the percentage of households with no symptoms rose from 26.89% to 50.2% underscores the effectiveness of the VF100 Filter when it comes to removing pathogens. 

Economic Results

Not only did the VF100 Filter lead to a decrease in adverse symptoms, but it also put much less stress on people’s wallets in Honduras. The average wage in Honduras is $248 Honduran Lempira (HNL), which is the equivalent of $10 USD. Many households rely on bottled water, which can be quite expensive. The average monthly cost for bottled water was $37.50 HNL. Eight weeks after the deployment of the VF100 Filters, that number dropped to a mere $0.30 HNL due to the fact that the durable VF100 Filter lasts for many years after purchase. 

After the VF100 Filter distribution, healthcare costs dropped as well. The healthcare cost for the average household started out at $314.50 HNL because drinking tainted water led to the need for medications as well as hospital visits. Two weeks after the deployment, the average healthcare cost dropped to $51.60 HNL. And after eight weeks, that number dropped to $27.10 HNL. This proves that the VF100 Filter not only provides people with clean water, which can potentially save lives, but it also enhances people’s lives by putting less strain on their economic situations.

Goodjustice Moving Forward

Goodjustice undeniably made their mark in Honduras by providing essential tools to improve people’s lives. But the distribution of the VF100 Filters in Honduras is just one of the positive impacts that the company has made. To learn more about Goodjustice, check out their site. And if you want more information on Business Connect’s solutions to the water crisis, click this link.