Proposes a multidimensional approach to measuring water poverty, which takes into account not only access to clean water but also factors such as water quality, reliability, affordability, and sustainability.
Author(s): Deal, Jeffery L.; Massa, Henry; Check, Kristen; Naaktgeboren, Christiana; Malone, Alyson M.; Rozelle, Jeffrey
Published: 2015
Language: English
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Additional Information
Using a unique combination of ethnographic methods, healthcare facility chart reviews, and individual waterborne parasite tests, the health impacts of providing water treatment systems for communities in Uganda are compared to the impact measured using identical water technology and similar research methods in Honduras. While self-reported diarrhea rates improved in the Ugandan test communities when compared to controls, no significant impact was detected in any of the other measures. This contrasts sharply with findings in Honduras where all measures demonstrated statistically significant improvement after installation of identical water treatment systems. Ongoing ethnographic work reveals that knowledge of waterborne pathogens was universal in both Uganda and Honduras while practices related to water consumption varied greatly. Additional factors effecting these outcomes will be discussed.