Preliminary Investigation of the Probable Linkage between Water Quality, Sanitation and Health in Zaria Area, Nigeria

Mohammed I. U., Dogara S. B., Hayatu J. M., Ibrahim A. A., Ugwu S. J.

Abstract


The study examines the levels of enteric disease risk and overall health status of the population living in the Zaria area, posed by drinking objectionable water and deficient sanitation practices. Health data from Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, for the period of 5 years was obtained (i.e., 2001-2005), from the medical microbiology department, on test results of patients submitting specimens for gastrointestinal infections (stool cultures) and bilharziasis (urine microscopy). Patient specimens diagnosed as positive or negative results were recorded, including the addresses where they reside. The result revealed that the incidence rate (IR) of waterborne diseases per 1000 of the population surveyed from ABUTH data over 1 year showed that Zaria City had the highest incidence rate (49.5) of gastrointestinal infections, including bilharziasis. It was observed that Zaria City had the highest number 1100(50.9%) of positive cases detected, while Samaru had the least number 302(14%) detected. The breakdown of the types of organisms detected in all four major residential areas of Zaria, includes E. coli, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Shigella spp., Vibrio cholerae, and Klebsiella spp., and all the organisms detected are either water-borne or water-related disease-causing organisms. The microbiological examination detecting the presence and absence of Ova of Schistosoma haematobium (O.Sch H) from urine specimen results also revealed that Zaria City had the highest recorded number and frequency of the presence of  Ova of Schistosoma haematobium 806(49.6%), while the low recorded cases were from Samaru area 260(16%). The next line of research directions is to visit the area with the highest number of reported cases of gastrointestinal infections and bilharziasis based on the addresses of the patients submitted. Brief conversational interviews and focus group discussion techniques are to be deployed. Designing and administration of questionnaire survey, water quality sampling and analysis and finally using statistical tools to develop a model to link the environmental factors to water-related disease incidence reported in the hospital.


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References


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