Dataset Information

Evaluation of Membrane Ultrafiltration and Residual Chlorination as a Decentralized Water Treatment Strategy for Ten Rural Healthcare Facilities in Rwanda.

ABSTRACT: There is a critical need for safe water in healthcare facilities (HCF) in low-income countries. HCF rely on water supplies that may require additional on-site treatment, and need sustainable technologies that can deliver sufficient quantities of water. Water treatment systems (WTS) that utilize ultrafiltration membranes for water treatment can be a useful technology in low-income countries, but studies have not systematically examined the feasibility of this technology in low-income settings. We monitored 22 months of operation of 10 WTS, including pre-filtration, membrane ultrafiltration, and chlorine residual disinfection that were donated to and operated by rural HCF in Rwanda. The systems were fully operational for 74% of the observation period. The most frequent reasons for interruption were water shortage (8%) and failure of the chlorination mechanism (7%). When systems were operational, 98% of water samples collected from the HCF taps met World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for microbiological water quality. Water quality deteriorated during treatment interruptions and when water was stored in containers. Sustained performance of the systems depended primarily on organizational factors: the ability of the HCF technician to perform routine servicing and repairs, and environmental factors: water and power availability and procurement of materials, including chlorine and replacement parts in Rwanda.

SUBMITTER: Huttinger A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4627051 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Evaluation of Membrane Ultrafiltration and Residual Chlorination as a Decentralized Water Treatment Strategy for Ten Rural Healthcare Facilities in Rwanda.

Huttinger Alexandra A Dreibelbis Robert R Roha Kristin K Ngabo Fidel F Kayigamba Felix F Mfura Leodomir L Moe Christine C

International journal of environmental research and public health 20151027 10

There is a critical need for safe water in healthcare facilities (HCF) in low-income countries. HCF rely on water supplies that may require additional on-site treatment, and need sustainable technologies that can deliver sufficient quantities of water. Water treatment systems (WTS) that utilize ultrafiltration membranes for water treatment can be a useful technology in low-income countries, but studies have not systematically examined the feasibility of this technology in low-income settings. We ...[more]

PMID: 26516883

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Project description:WHO and UNICEF have proposed an action plan to achieve universal water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) coverage in healthcare facilities (HCFs) by 2030. The WASH targets and indicators for HCFs include: an improved water source on the premises accessible to all users, basic sanitation facilities, a hand washing facility with soap and water at all sanitation facilities and patient care areas. To establish viable targets for WASH in HCFs, investigation beyond 'access' is needed to address the state of WASH infrastructure and service provision. Patient and caregiver use of WASH services is largely unaddressed in previous studies despite being critical for infection control.The state of WASH services used by staff, patients and caregivers was assessed in 17 rural HCFs in Rwanda. Site selection was non-random and predicated upon piped water and power supply. Direct observation and semi-structured interviews assessed drinking water treatment, presence and condition of sanitation facilities, provision of soap and water, and WASH-related maintenance and record keeping. Samples were collected from water sources and treated drinking water containers and analyzed for total coliforms, E. coli, and chlorine residual.Drinking water treatment was reported at 15 of 17 sites. Three of 18 drinking water samples collected met the WHO guideline for free chlorine residual of >0.2 mg/l, 6 of 16 drinking water samples analyzed for total coliforms met the WHO guideline of <1 coliform/100 mL and 15 of 16 drinking water samples analyzed for E. coli met the WHO guideline of <1 E. coli/100 mL. HCF staff reported treating up to 20 L of drinking water per day. At all sites, 60% of water access points (160 of 267) were observed to be functional, 32% of hand washing locations (46 of 142) had water and soap and 44% of sanitary facilities (48 of 109) were in hygienic condition and accessible to patients. Regular maintenance of WASH infrastructure consisted of cleaning; no HCF had on-site capacity for performing repairs. Quarterly evaluations of HCFs for Rwanda's Performance Based Financing system included WASH indicators.All HCFs met national policies for water access, but WHO guidelines for environmental standards including water quality were not fully satisfied. Access to WASH services at the HCFs differed between staff and patients and caregivers.

Project description:Objective:Evidence suggests postnatal care contributes to reductions in maternal mortality. In Ethiopia, the proportion of women who do not utilize postnatal care after birth is high and the frequency of postnatal checks falls short of the four visits recommended by World Health Organization. This study examined risk factors associated with non-utilization of decentralized local health facilities, namely, health posts, health centers, and a primary hospital, for postnatal care services in Gida Ayana Woreda in rural western Ethiopia.Methods:In this study, 454 mothers were examined for the following risk factors: kebele (the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia) in which decentralized health care facilities were located, postnatal woman’s age, antenatal care service visit, experience of postnatal complications, knowledge of postnatal complications, knowledge of the recommended number of postnatal care visits, knowledge of the availability/provision of postnatal care, and health extension workers’ home visits. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied to identify predictors of non-utilization of decentralized local facilities for postnatal care services.Results:Over half (55.7%) of the women did not utilize postnatal care within 42?days of delivery, and only 10.0% utilized the care considered appropriate according to World Health Organization guidelines. After adjusting for various potential confounding factors, we found the following risks to be strongly associated with non-utilization of decentralized health care facilities for postnatal care services: some outer rural administrative decentralization entities such as Angar, Lalistu, and Ejere kebeles; age 35?years or older (adjusted odds ratio?=?3.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.4–8.3), not receiving antenatal care during this pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio?=?2.0, 95% confidence interval: 1.1–3.7), no experience of any postnatal complications (adjusted odds ratio?=?3.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.7–6.4), and no knowledge of at least one postnatal complication (adjusted odds ratio?=?2.0, 95% confidence interval: 1.2–3.3). Risk factors highly but less strongly associated with women’s non-utilization of postnatal care services were no knowledge of the standard number of postnatal care visits recommended, no knowledge about the availability/provision of services at a local health facility, and no home visit from health extension worker by day 3 post-delivery.Conclusion:The risk factors for women’s non-utilization of decentralized health care facilities for postnatal care identified in this study need to be considered in interventions for enhancing the utilization of the service and reducing maternal and newborn deaths in rural western Ethiopia. Strengthening of postnatal care services, especially in the more remote kebeles, should include upgrading of the referral system and expansion of counseling of women by health extension workers.

Project description:BackgroundEffective strategies are needed to facilitate the prompt diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in countries with a high burden of the disease.MethodsWe conducted a cluster-randomized trial in which Ugandan community health centers were assigned to a multicomponent diagnostic strategy (on-site molecular testing for tuberculosis, guided restructuring of clinic workflows, and monthly feedback of quality metrics) or routine care (on-site sputum-smear microscopy and referral-based molecular testing). The primary outcome was the number of adults treated for confirmed tuberculosis within 14 days after presenting to the health center for evaluation during the 16-month intervention period. Secondary outcomes included completion of tuberculosis testing, same-day diagnosis, and same-day treatment. Outcomes were also assessed on the basis of proportions.ResultsA total of 20 health centers underwent randomization, with 10 assigned to each group. Of 10,644 eligible adults (median age, 40 years) whose data were evaluated, 60.1% were women and 43.8% had human immunodeficiency virus infection. The intervention strategy led to a greater number of patients being treated for confirmed tuberculosis within 14 days after presentation (342 patients across 10 intervention health centers vs. 220 across 10 control health centers; adjusted rate ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 2.01). More patients at intervention centers than at control centers completed tuberculosis testing (adjusted rate ratio, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.21 to 2.82), received a same-day diagnosis (adjusted rate ratio, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.39 to 2.56), and received same-day treatment for confirmed tuberculosis (adjusted rate ratio, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.57 to 3.61). Among 706 patients with confirmed tuberculosis, a higher proportion in the intervention group than in the control group were treated on the same day (adjusted rate ratio, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.23 to 4.25) or within 14 days after presentation (adjusted rate ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.40).ConclusionsA multicomponent diagnostic strategy that included on-site molecular testing plus implementation supports to address barriers to delivery of high-quality tuberculosis evaluation services led to greater numbers of patients being tested, receiving a diagnosis, and being treated for confirmed tuberculosis. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; XPEL-TB ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03044158.).

Project description:Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 calls for a reduction of the maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. The most important cause of maternal mortality is post-partum haemorrhage (PPH). Oxytocin injections and misoprostol tablets are medicines of first choice for the management of PPH in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Unfortunately, both substances are chemically unstable, and previous studies have revealed serious quality problems of these medicines in LMICs. The present study is the first report on their quality in Rwanda. From 40 randomly selected health facilities (hospitals, health centers, retail pharmacies and private clinics) in different parts of Rwanda, as well as from six wholesalers and government stores, oxytocin injections and misoprostol tablets were collected. Oxytocin storage temperatures in the health facilities were monitored for six months using temperature data loggers, and found to correctly follow the storage requirements stated by the manufacturers (2-8°C, or room temperature) with few minor deviations. Oxytocin injections (57 samples, representing seven batches of four brands) were tested for their oxytocin content and pH value according to the United States Pharmacopeia. Twenty-four samples from three European manufacturers passed all tests. However, all nine samples of one batch of a Chinese manufacturer showed an excessive content of oxytocin (range 117.2-121.5% of the declared amount). Another batch of the same manufacturer showed extreme variations of the concentration of the preservative benzyl alcohol. Misoprostol tablets (25 samples, representing ten batches of six brands) were tested for content and dissolution according to the International Pharmacopoeia. Fifteen samples passed, but all 10 samples of two brands from India failed with extreme deviations, containing only 42.5-48.7% of the stated amount of misoprostol. In conclusion, oxytocin quality in Rwanda was better than reported from other African countries. However, two extremely substandard brands of misoprostol tablets were found. The Rwandan authorities reacted quickly and efficiently, and recalled these substandard medicines from the market. For oxytocin and misoprostol, with their well-known problems of quality and stability, procurement should possibly be restricted to medicines which are WHO-prequalified or which have been manufactured in countries with stringent regulatory authorities.

Dataset Information

Evaluation of Membrane Ultrafiltration and Residual Chlorination as a Decentralized Water Treatment Strategy for Ten Rural Healthcare Facilities in Rwanda.

Publications

Evaluation of Membrane Ultrafiltration and Residual Chlorination as a Decentralized Water Treatment Strategy for Ten Rural Healthcare Facilities in Rwanda.

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