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AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Jan 31, 2007
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AJPH.2005.073460v1
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March 2007, Vol 97, No. 3 | American Journal of Public Health 398-400
© 2007 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.073460

FIELD ACTION REPORT

Bringing Safe Water to Remote Populations: An Evaluation of a Portable Point-of-Use Intervention in Rural Madagascar

Pavani Kalluri Ram, MD, Elaine Kelsey, Rasoatiana, Rabeantoandro Rado Miarintsoa, DESS, Oliver Rakotomalala, MS, Chris Dunston, MPH and Robert E. Quick, MD, MPH

Pavani Kalluri Ram is with the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York, Buffalo, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. At the time of the study, Elaine Kelsey, Rasoatiana, Rabeantoandro Rado Miarintsoa, Olivier Rakotomalala, and Chris Dunston were with CARE Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar. Robert E. Quick is with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Pavani Kalluri Ram, MD, Dept of Social and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York, Buffalo, 3435 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214 (e-mail: pkram{at}buffalo.edu).

Rural populations disproportionately lack access to improved water supplies. We evaluated a novel scheme that employed community-based sales agents to disseminate the Safe Water System (SWS)—a household-level water chlorination and safe storage intervention—in rural Madagascar.

Respondents from 242 households in 4 villages were interviewed; all used surface water for drinking water. Respondents from 239 households (99%) had heard of Sûr’Eau, the SWS disinfectant; 226 (95%) reported having ever used Sûr’Eau, and 166 (73%) reported current use. Current Sûr’Eau use was confirmed in 54% of households. Community sales agents effectively motivated their neighbors to adopt a new health behavior that prevents diarrhea.

Future work should focus on strategies for sustaining SWS use, factors that motivate community-based sales agents to promote SWS, and the feasibility of scaling up this approach.




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