Girmay AM, Mengesha SD, Dinssa DA, Alemu ZA, Wagari B, Weldegebriel MG, Serte MG, Alemayehu TA, Kenea MA, Weldetinsae A, Teklu KT, Adugna EA, Awoke KS, Bedada TL, Gobena W, Fikreslassie G, Wube W, Hoffmann V, Tessema M, Tollera G. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and drinking water contamination risk levels in households of Bishoftu Town, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.
Health Sci Rep 2023;
6:e1662. [PMID:
37920657 PMCID:
PMC10618431 DOI:
10.1002/hsr2.1662]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims
Access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene is a fundamental human right and essential to control infectious diseases. However, many countries, including Ethiopia, do not have adequate data to report on basic water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Although contaminated drinking water spreads diseases like cholera, diarrhea, typhoid, and dysentery, studies on drinking water contamination risk levels in households are limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, closing this gap needs investigation.
Methods
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 5350 households were included. A systematic, simple random sampling technique was used to select the participants. The information was gathered through in-person interviews using a standardized questionnaire. Furthermore, 1070 drinking water samples were collected from household water storage.
Results
This investigation revealed that 9.8%, 83.9%, and 4.9% of households used limited, basic, and safely managed drinking water services, respectively. Besides, 10.2%, 15.7% and 59.3% of households used safely managed, basic and limited sanitation services, respectively. Yet, 10.6% and 4.2% of households used unimproved sanitation facilities and open defecation practices. Also, 40.5% and 19.4% of households used limited and basic hygiene services. On the other hand, 40.1% of households lacked functional handwashing facilities. In this study, 12.1%, 26.3%, and 42% of households' drinking water samples were positive for Escherichia coli, fecal coliforms, and total coliforms, respectively. Also, 5.1% and 4.5% of households' drinking water samples had very high and high contamination risk levels for E. coli, respectively. We found that 2.5% and 11.5% of households and water distributors had unacceptable fluoride concentrations, respectively.
Conclusion
The majority of households in Bishoftu town lack access to safely managed sanitation, drinking water, and basic hygiene services. Many households' water samples had very high and high health risk levels. Hence, the government and partner organizations should implement water and sanitation safety plans.
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