Preventing diarrheal disease in developing countries : proven household water treatment options

The health consequences of inadequate water and sanitation services include an estimated 4 billion cases of diarrhea and1.9 million deaths each year, mostly among young children in developing countries. Diarrheal diseases lead to decreasedfood intake and nutrient absorption, malnutrition, reduced resistance to infection, and impaired physical growth andcognitive development. Since 1996, a large body of work has been published that has examined the health impact ofinterventions to improve water quality at the point-of-use through household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS).Five interventions \u2013 chlorination, solar disinfection, ceramic filtration, slow sand filtration, and PUR \u2013 have been provento reduce diarrhea in users in developing countries and improve the microbiological quality of stored household water and are discussed below. The most appropriate HWTS option for a location depends on existing water and sanitation conditions, water quality, cultural acceptability, implementation feasibility, availability of HWTS technologies, and other local conditions.Household Chlorination -- Ceramic Filtration -- Slow Sand Filtration -- Solar Disinfection \u2013 SODIS -- Flocculant / Disinfectant Powder - PUR Purifier of Water\u212