IRC WASH Symposium 2019: “All Systems Go!”

From 12 – 14 March 2019 IRC and partners will be hosting a symposium on building and strengthening strong systems to deliver safe and sustainable WASH services for everyone.

Location: The Hague, The Netherlands

Registration: early bird registration extended till 21 November 2018 – online registration

Call for Abstracts: deadline extended to 8 October 2018 – full call for abstracts

All information on the symposium web page

No evidence that current sanitation interventions stop faecal exposure

A systematic review [1] of 29 studies found “little to no effect from sanitation interventions” on “faecal-oral transmission of enteric and other pathogens”. The transmission pathways reviewed included “faecal pathogens or indicator bacteria in drinking water, hand contamination, sentinel toys, food, household and latrine surfaces and soil, as well as flies and observations of human faeces”.

There was some evidence showing the association of sanitation “with reductions in flies and a small effect on observations of faeces”. There was also evidence showing “an inverse relationship between the distance of a water supply from a latrine and level of faecal contamination of such water supply”.

The authors of the review conclude that current sanitation efforts in low-income countries are ineffective and unable to prevent contamination along well-known pathways. This may be because “interventions often fail to achieve universal coverage or use”, which is the subject of another systematic review [2].

As expected from researchers, they are also recommend that more rigorous studies are required to investigate the impact of sanitation interventions on multiple transmission pathways.

Unfortunately this important study is not available as an open access article.

[1] Sclar GD, Penakalapati G, Amato HK, Garn JV, Alexander K, Freeman MC, Clasen T. Assessing the impact of sanitation on indicators of fecal exposure along principal transmission pathways : a systematic review. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 2016 Oct 1.DOI:10.1016/j.ijheh.2016.09.021

[2] Garn, J.V., Sclar, G.D., Freeman, M.C., Alexander, K.T., Penakalapati, G., Brooks, P.,Rehfuess, E.A., Clasen, T.F. The impact of sanitation interventions on latrine coverage and latrine use : a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 2016 Oct 11.DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2016.10.001

WHO – Drinking-water Quality Guidelines, new edition

Launch of the 4th edition of WHO Drinking-water Quality Guidelines at Singapore International Water Week

The latest drinking-water guidelines are now available for download or book order following their global launch at the Singapore International Water Week on 4 July 2011. These Guidelines are the product of systematic revisions over more than five years of extensive consultation with hundreds of experts. This 4th edition expands on key concepts like health-based targets and water safety planning; presents new risk assessments on microbial, chemical and radiological hazards, and addresses emerging issues of public concern like pharmaceuticals in drinking-water.

Link to Full-text

Social, Cultural and Behavioral Correlates of Household Water Treatment and Storage

In the Center for Communication Programs publication, Social, Cultural and Behavioral Correlates of Household Water Treatment and Storage, Drs. Figueroa and Kincaid discuss the many individual, household and community level factors that play a role in water treatment behavior and offer a model that can be used to improve the design and effectiveness of water treatment programs.

The Model of Communication for Water Treatment and Safe Storage Behavior is based on behavior change and communication theories that have been applied and tested worldwide by CCP across several health areas, including water treatment.

Link – http://www.jhuccp.org/node/1558