Provide safe water for people of Zambia
PSI - Safe Water - Zambia
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Photo by: PSI
Photo by: PSI
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Project Summary
Contaminated water is a leading cause of diarrheal disease in Zambia, where only 1 in 5 rural households have access to an improved water source and 1 in 4 have no toilet facility. Poor sanitary conditions, limited access to safe water and poor hygiene practices also contribute to high prevalence of diarrheal disease. Unfortunately, mortality among children under five is particularly high as attempts to rehydrate children, usually with more contaminated water, often fail. According to the 2007 DHS, 1 in every 9 children in Zambia dies before his or her fifth birthday.
In 1998, Society for Family Health, PSI’s Zambian affiliate, launched Clorin to protect low-income Zambians from contaminated water. Clorin is an inexpensive and simple-to-use household water treatment – a sodium hypochlorite disinfectant developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With funding from PEPFAR, in 2009, SFH distributed 400,000 bottles of Clorin to home-based care (HBC) programmes nationwide, helping to target some of the most vulnerable populations in the country. SFH trained 267 key personnel, mostly caregivers working for SFH’s partners, in providing information around correct and consistent use of Clorin as well as broader hand-washing and sanitation messages. Bottles of Clorin are included in HBC “kits” delivered by 12,000 caregivers to more than 65,000 clients throughout Zambia.
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In 1998, Society for Family Health, PSI’s Zambian affiliate, launched Clorin to protect low-income Zambians from contaminated water. Clorin is an inexpensive and simple-to-use household water treatment – a sodium hypochlorite disinfectant developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With funding from PEPFAR, in 2009, SFH distributed 400,000 bottles of Clorin to home-based care (HBC) programmes nationwide, helping to target some of the most vulnerable populations in the country. SFH trained 267 key personnel, mostly caregivers working for SFH’s partners, in providing information around correct and consistent use of Clorin as well as broader hand-washing and sanitation messages. Bottles of Clorin are included in HBC “kits” delivered by 12,000 caregivers to more than 65,000 clients throughout Zambia.
Project Summary
Contaminated water is a leading cause of diarrheal disease in Zambia, where only 1 in 5 rural households have access to an improved water source and 1 in 4 have no toilet facility. Poor sanitary conditions, limited access to safe water and poor hygiene practices also contribute to high prevalence of diarrheal disease. Unfortunately, mortality among children under five is particularly high as attempts to rehydrate children, usually with more contaminated water, often fail. According to the 2007 DHS, 1 in every 9 children in Zambia dies before his or her fifth birthday.
In 1998, Society for Family Health, PSI’s Zambian affiliate, launched Clorin to protect low-income Zambians from contaminated water. Clorin is an inexpensive and simple-to-use household water treatment – a sodium hypochlorite disinfectant developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With funding from PEPFAR, in 2009, SFH distributed 400,000 bottles of Clorin to home-based care (HBC) programmes nationwide, helping to target some of the most vulnerable populations in the country. SFH trained 267 key personnel, mostly caregivers working for SFH’s partners, in providing information around correct and consistent use of Clorin as well as broader hand-washing and sanitation messages. Bottles of Clorin are included in HBC “kits” delivered by 12,000 caregivers to more than 65,000 clients throughout Zambia.
In 1998, Society for Family Health, PSI’s Zambian affiliate, launched Clorin to protect low-income Zambians from contaminated water. Clorin is an inexpensive and simple-to-use household water treatment – a sodium hypochlorite disinfectant developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With funding from PEPFAR, in 2009, SFH distributed 400,000 bottles of Clorin to home-based care (HBC) programmes nationwide, helping to target some of the most vulnerable populations in the country. SFH trained 267 key personnel, mostly caregivers working for SFH’s partners, in providing information around correct and consistent use of Clorin as well as broader hand-washing and sanitation messages. Bottles of Clorin are included in HBC “kits” delivered by 12,000 caregivers to more than 65,000 clients throughout Zambia.
Issues
“People mistakenly believed that if water came out of a pipe, then it was safe to drink. As a result, diarrheal diseases used to be very common in our community” says Jacob Simbeye, 59, who lives in Chazanga Compound, Lusaka with his wife and five orphaned grandchildren.
Jacob was one of the caregivers who received training to educate his peers on correct and consistent use of Clorin. The health improvements Jacob has seen in his community makes it all worthwhile. As he reflects, “Once we started using Clorin, diarrhea cases went down tremendously and people are much healthier.
Jacob was one of the caregivers who received training to educate his peers on correct and consistent use of Clorin. The health improvements Jacob has seen in his community makes it all worthwhile. As he reflects, “Once we started using Clorin, diarrhea cases went down tremendously and people are much healthier.
Goals
PSI is a leading global health organization with programs targeting malaria, child survival, HIV and reproductive health. Working in partnership within the public and private sectors, and harnessing the power of markets, PSI provides life-saving products, clinical services and behavior change communications that empower the world's most vulnerable populations to lead healthier lives. www.psi.org
Progress To-Date
To date, the program has sold or distributed over 18 million bottles of Clorin, each of which protects a family of six for one month. This means that PSI has empowered the people and communities of Zambia to treat over 15 billion liters of water. In just 2008 alone, PSI/Zambia estimates that it averted over 900,000 episodes of diarrhea.
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