Can improvements in water supply reduce childhood diarrhoea?

The effects of improving the water supply on the incidence ofdiarrhoea in 1096 children from three neighbouring villagesof the Kirotshe rural health district. Northern Kivu, Zairewere investigated. Two of these villages had piped water, whilethe third village had no such facility. Children aged underfour years on registration were visited fortnightly for oneyear. Median diarrhoea incidence per two weeks proved to besignificantly lower in the two intervention villages than inthe control village. In the two intervention villages, mediandiarrhoea incidence per two weeks was halved in children wholived in households located less than a five-minute walk fromthe public standpipe, or in households using more than 50 litresof water a day. The association between diarrhoea incidenceand facility use did not differ after stratification by socioeconomicvariables. These findings underscore the fact that children in householdsthat use standpipes are exposed to a lower risk of diarrhoea.Therefore, it is important to stress that those in charge ofthe planning and implementation of water supply interventionsinvestigate the access to, and use of, water amongst the targetpopulation.