Assessment of water and sanitation accessibility and prevalence of water-related diseases in Baringo County, Kenya

Abstract

Accessibility to potable water is a fundamental right for dignity and well-being. In spite of this observation, over 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. This is particularly true in the Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia regions. The main aim of this study was to Assess Water and Sanitation Accessibility and Prevalence of water-related diseases in Marigat town Baringo County, Kenya. The study employed a Cross-sectional household survey. Stratified random sampling method was used to select household respondents. A structured questionnaire was administered to households’ heads to elicit information relating to objectives of the study. Samples of drinking water were collected from water sources (boreholes, rivers, and springs) and at point of use (households) and analyzed for Escherichia coli and Total coliform bacteria using the Most Probable Number method. In situ measurements of PH and temperature were carried out using a Wagtech International portable meter. Clinical health records from the local health centres were also reviewed to assess the Prevalence rates of some of the water-related diseases. The study findings indicated that there was a significant association between level of education and covering of water storage container (P< 0.05). There were significant differences among water sources in terms of E. coli (F (2, 21) = 3.629, p < 0.05) and Total Coliform (F (2, 21) = 4.041, p < 0.05) during dry season. Similar observations were made during the Wet season

for E. coli (F (2, 21) = 4.090, p < 0.05) and Total Coliform (F (2, 21) = 1.893, p < 0.05). Further, there were significant interactions between the water sources & season E. coli (F (2, 42) = 7.66, p < 0.01) and Total Coliform (F (2, 42) = 5.494, p < 0.05). Drinking water in large plastic storage containers (herein referred to as skyplast) had the highest E. coli and Total Coliform concentrations. Typhoid was the most prevalent water-related disease during the dry season (10%) while Diarrhea (3%) most prevalent during the wet season. All drinking water at abstraction and point of use for Marigat residents are microbiologically contaminated and therefore pose serious health risks to consumers of such water. Thus there is need for Public health awareness campaigns on household water management to curb incidences of water- related diseases. Public health practitioners at county and national levels need to ensure that households have adequate access to potable water and improved sanitation.