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The relationship between prevalence of active trachoma, water availability and its use in a Tanzanian village

Sarah Polack1, Hannah Kuper, Anthony W Solomon

  • 1London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK. sarah.polack@lshtm.ac.uk

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
|March 21, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Longer water collection times correlate with higher active trachoma prevalence in Tanzanian children. Prioritizing water for hygiene, not just quantity, significantly reduces infection risk.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Environmental Health
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

  • Active trachoma remains a significant public health concern, particularly in resource-limited settings.
  • Water availability and usage patterns are hypothesized to influence trachoma transmission.
  • Understanding these relationships is crucial for effective intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between active trachoma prevalence in children and water availability/household water use in rural Tanzania.
  • To identify specific water-related factors influencing trachoma risk.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 914 children (aged 1-9 years) examining trachoma prevalence.
  • Data collection on water collection time, water quantity, and other trachoma risk factors.
  • Sub-study involving 99 households to document water use patterns.

Main Results:

  • Active trachoma prevalence was 18.4% among the studied children.
  • Increased time spent collecting water was associated with higher trachoma prevalence (OR 2.25).
  • Higher water allocation for personal hygiene correlated with lower trachoma prevalence, independent of total water volume.

Conclusions:

  • Household water allocation, particularly for hygiene, is a critical factor in trachoma prevention.
  • Reducing water collection time may improve both water quantity and its allocation for hygiene.
  • Interventions should focus on facilitating water access and promoting hygiene practices to combat trachoma.

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