To What Extent is Drinking Water Tested in Sub-Saharan Africa? A Comparative Analysis of Regulated Water Quality Monitoring

Peletz, Rachel; Kumpel, Emily; Bonham, Mateyo; Rahman, Zarah; Khush, Ranjiv

doi:10.3390/ijerph13030275

Cited by 54 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…To make domestic water available, water needs to be abstracted from surface or ground water supplies, analysed and treated when possible, then distributed and, ideally, collected for treatment before releasing it back to the nature. However, the actual processes differ greatly and, for example, in many parts of Africa, water quality is rarely analytically assessed or appropriately treated [33][34][35]. There is, thus, a need for industrial processes to e.g., deliver safe water to people, as different equipment and technologies are required.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Potential and Pitfalls of Frugal Innovation in the Water Sector: Insights from Tanzania to Global Value Chains

Hyvärinen¹,

Keskinen²,

Varis³

2016

Sustainability

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Abstract:Water is perhaps the most intertwined, and basic, resource on our planet. Nevertheless, billions face water-related challenges, varying from lack of water and sanitation services to hindrances on livelihoods and socio-economic activities. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize the broad role that water has for development, and also call for the private sector to participate in solving these numerous development challenges. This study looks into the potential of frugal innovations as a means for the private sector to engage in water-related development challenges. Our findings, based on a case study and literature review, indicate that frugal innovations have potential in this front due to their focus on affordable, no-frills solutions. However, we also recognize pitfalls related to frugal innovations in the water sector. Although the innovations would, in principle, be sustainable, deficiencies related to scale and institutional structures may emerge. These deficiencies are linked to the importance of water in a variety of processes, both natural and manmade, as well as to the complexity of global production-consumption value chains. Increasing the innovations' sustainability impact requires broader acknowledgement of the underlying value chains and their diverse links with water. A holistic view on water can mitigate water-related business risks while increasing wellbeing on an individual level.

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Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Potential and Pitfalls of Frugal Innovation in the Water Sector: Insights from Tanzania to Global Value Chains

Hyvärinen¹,

Keskinen²,

Varis³

2016

Sustainability

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“…7 However, it is important to recognize that meeting these monitoring requirements may not be sufficient to assess water safety. The likelihood that a limited amount of testing will provide an accurate measurement of microbial contamination is influenced by the actual contamination levels in the water source: among highly contaminated and uncontaminated sources, fewer water samples are needed to estimate actual contamination levels; however, among sources with fluctuating levels of contamination, many more samples are needed to estimate actual contamination levels.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Much Will It Cost To Monitor Microbial Drinking Water Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Delaire¹,

Peletz²,

Kumpel³

et al. 2017

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Microbial water quality monitoring is crucial for managing water resources and protecting public health. However, institutional testing activities in sub-Saharan Africa are currently limited. Because the economics of water quality testing are poorly understood, the extent to which cost may be a barrier to monitoring in different settings is unclear. This study used cost data from 18 African monitoring institutions (piped water suppliers and health surveillance agencies in six countries) and estimates of water supply type coverage from 15 countries to assess the annual financial requirements for microbial water testing at both national and regional levels, using World Health Organization recommendations for sampling frequency. We found that a microbial water quality test costs 21.0 ± 11.3 USD, on average, including consumables, equipment, labor, and logistics, which is higher than previously calculated. Our annual cost estimates for microbial monitoring of piped supplies and improved point sources ranged between 8 000 USD for Equatorial Guinea and 1.9 million USD for Ethiopia, depending primarily on the population served but also on the distribution of piped water system sizes. A comparison with current national water and sanitation budgets showed that the cost of implementing prescribed testing levels represents a relatively modest proportion of existing budgets (<2%). At the regional level, we estimated that monitoring the microbial quality of all improved water sources in sub-Saharan Africa would cost 16.0 million USD per year, which is minimal in comparison to the projected annual capital costs of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.1 of safe water for all (14.8 billion USD).

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“…Thirteen papers consider aspects of maternal, female and adolescent girls' health and protection in terms of WASH. Women are found to be more vulnerable to the health impacts of WASH (Stockman et al 2007;Olusanya and Ofovwe 2010;Wilunda et al 2013;Corburn and Hildebrand 2015;Peletz et al 2016). No access to household sanitation was associated with elevated risk of anaemia in adolescent girls (Ondimu 2000) and anaemia is also associated with high rates of stunting and thinness and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnant and postpartum women (Teji et al 2016; Ondimu 2000; Wilunda et al 2013).…”

Section: Cross-cuttingmentioning

confidence: 99%

21st century research in urban WASH and health in sub-Saharan Africa: methods and outcomes in transition

Mackinnon

Ayah

Taylor

et al. 2018

International Journal of Environmental Health Research

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Tackling global inequalities in access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) remains an urgent issue-58% of annual diarrhoeal deaths are caused by inadequate WASH provision. A global context of increasing urbanisation, changing demographics and health transitions demands an understanding and impact of WASH on a broad set of health outcomes. We examine the literature, in terms of health outcomes, considering WASH access and interventions in urban sub-Saharan Africa from 2000 to 2017. Our review of studies which evaluate the effectiveness of specific WASH interventions, reveals an emphasis of WASH research on acute communicable diseases, particularly diarrhoeal diseases. In contrast, chronic communicable and non-communicable health outcomes were notable gaps in the literature as well as a lack of focus on cross-cutting issues, such as ageing, well-being and gender equality. We recommend a broader focus of WASH research and interventions in urban Africa to better reflect the demographic and health transitions happening.

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To What Extent is Drinking Water Tested in Sub-Saharan Africa? A Comparative Analysis of Regulated Water Quality Monitoring

Cited by 54 publications

References 8 publications

Potential and Pitfalls of Frugal Innovation in the Water Sector: Insights from Tanzania to Global Value Chains

Potential and Pitfalls of Frugal Innovation in the Water Sector: Insights from Tanzania to Global Value Chains

How Much Will It Cost To Monitor Microbial Drinking Water Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa?

21st century research in urban WASH and health in sub-Saharan Africa: methods and outcomes in transition

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