Waterborne Diseases in a Rural Community in Pakistan: Awareness, Impact, and Corrective Measures

This study aimed to assess the occurrence of waterborne illnesses in the rural community along the Hudiara Drain in Lahore, analyze the relationship between drinking water sources and waterborne illnesses, and evaluate the community's readiness to pay for improved water and sanitation facilities.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2023 to July 2024 in the area along Hudiara Drain (2 km off Bark Road on the left), Lahore, Pakistan. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 102 randomly selected households from a total of 450. The questionnaire covered socioeconomic demographics, water sources, waterborne disease prevalence, awareness of water quality, and willingness to pay for improved water and sanitation facilities. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York) to generate descriptive statistics and graphical representations of key findings.

The majority of respondents (89.2%) were male, with a mean age of 44.6 ± 11.8 years. The primary drinking water source was hand pumps (47%), followed by a combination of tube wells and hand pumps (32.4%). A total of 75 (62.5%) cases of waterborne infections were reported, with diarrhea being the most prevalent (36.3%), followed by both diarrhea and dysentery (9.8%), typhoid fever (6.9%), hepatitis A (2%), and hepatitis E (2%) infections. A strong association was observed between drinking water sources and disease prevalence, with hand pump users experiencing the highest number of infections. Despite widespread awareness of poor water quality (56.9%), corrective measures such as boiling water were not commonly practiced (25.5%). Notably, 79.4% of respondents were unwilling to pay for a pipeline water supply and sewerage system, citing financial constraints and reliance on government intervention.

The findings highlight the major burden of waterborne diseases in the community, with poor water quality and inadequate sanitation systems contributing to high infection rates. While awareness of water safety issues is prevalent, financial limitations and government dependence hinder corrective actions.