Effectiveness of home water treatment for the control of diarrhea in children under five years: an intervention study in a rural health zone of Tshopo in the Democratic Republic of Congo - 2025
Effectiveness of home water treatment for the control of diarrhea in children under five years: an intervention study in a rural health zone of Tshopo in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Eugène, Basandja Longembe; Panda Lukongo, Kitronza; Joris, Losimba Likwela
2025 • In Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 15 (1), p. 61 - 74
children 0–59 months; diarrhea prevention; safe management; water treatment; Child 0–59 month; Democratic Republic of Congo; Diarrhea prevention; High rate; Intervention studies; Rural health; Safe managements; Storage and reduction; Storage time; Treatment management; Development; Water Science and Technology; Waste Management and Disposal; Pollution; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Abstract :
[en] Villages that were once certified as ‘sanitized’ have lost their status and now have high rates of diarrheal diseases. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of water treatment and safe management in reducing diarrheal diseases in children aged 0–59 months. An intervention study with non-randomized allocation of subjects was conducted from 1 September 2023 to 29 February 2024 in two villages in Tshopo province. The control village was the one selected in the similar context in terms of water supply, hygiene and sanitation. The inci-dence of diarrhea was calculated in each village per 100 person-weeks. Systematic water treatment combined with hygienic storage and reduction of storage time to 24 h reduced the prevalence of diarrhea from 49.6 to 9% in children aged 0–59 months. Village category (IRR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.8–1.98), education level (IRR = 1.101, 95% CI: 1.05–1.5), marital status of household head (IRR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02– 1.24) and household size (IRR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.07–1.08) were associated with diarrhea. Water treatment and safe management are effective measures to reduce diarrheal morbidity and should be recommended in the context of poor household access to improved water sources.
Disciplines :
Pediatrics Aquatic sciences & oceanology Public health, health care sciences & services
Author, co-author :
Eugène, Basandja Longembe ; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic Congo
Panda Lukongo, Kitronza ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la santé publique > Médecine du travail et environnementale
Joris, Losimba Likwela; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic Congo
Language :
English
Title :
Effectiveness of home water treatment for the control of diarrhea in children under five years: an intervention study in a rural health zone of Tshopo in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Publication date :
2025
Journal title :
Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development
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