Low Cost Water Quality Interventions for the Prevention of Diarrheal Disease

More than 2.2 million deaths occur worldwide each year due to diarrheal disease, mostly in children under five years of age, making it a problem of great public health significance. In developing countries, improving water at the household or point-of-use level has decreased the spread of diarrhea-related illnesses more than treatment of water at the source. Additionally, improving the quality of water has been shown to be as important in interrupting disease transmission pathways as increasing the quantity of water and improving general sanitation. Therefore, new technologies are being promoted for use in developing countries as low-cost methods of disease prevention. The current paper reviews interventions designed for water improvement at the household level, paying particular attention to related reductions in diarrhea as a primary disease outcome. Once shown to be effective at reducing disease in field or laboratory trials, the technology must then be promoted among and accepted by its intended users. Drawing upon the principles of community based participatory research, a framework is given for health professionals wishing to implement any novel technology or water quality intervention in a community setting