Dataset Information

Impact of an intervention to improve pit latrine emptying practices in low income urban neighborhoods of Maputo, Mozambique.

ABSTRACT: Safe fecal sludge management (FSM) - the hygienic emptying, transport, and treatment for reuse or disposal of fecal sludge - is an essential part of safely managed sanitation, especially in towns and cities in low- and middle-income countries with limited sewer coverage. The need for safe and affordable FSM services has become more acute as cities grow and densify. Hygienic pit-emptying uses equipment that limits direct human exposure with fecal sludge and hygienic transport conveys fecal sludge offsite for treatment. We evaluated whether a program of on-site sanitation infrastructure upgrades and FSM capacity development in urban Maputo, Mozambique resulted in more hygienic pit-emptying and safe transportation of fecal sludge. We compared reported emptying practices among multi-household compounds receiving sanitation upgrades with control compounds, both from the Maputo Sanitation (MapSan) trial at 24-36 months after the intervention. Intervention compounds (comprising 1-40 households, median = 3) received a subsidized pour-flush latrine to septic tank system that replaced an existing shared latrine; control compounds continued using existing shared latrines. We surveyed compound residents and analyzed available municipal data on FSM in the city. Due to the recent construction of the intervention, emptying was more frequent in control compounds: 5.6% (15/270) of intervention compounds and 30% (74/247) of controls had emptied their on-site sanitation system in the previous year. Among those compounds which had emptied a sanitation facility in the previous year, intervention compounds were 3.8 (95% CI: 1.4, 10) times more likely to have to done so hygienically. Results suggest that the construction of subsidized pour-flush sanitation systems increased hygienic emptying of fecal sludge in this setting. Further gains in hygienic emptying in urban Maputo may be limited by affordability and physical accessibility.

SUBMITTER: Capone D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7184672 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Impact of an intervention to improve pit latrine emptying practices in low income urban neighborhoods of Maputo, Mozambique.

Capone Drew D Buxton Helen H Cumming Oliver O Dreibelbis Robert R Knee Jackie J Nalá Rassul R Ross Ian I Brown Joe J

International journal of hygiene and environmental health 20200218

Safe fecal sludge management (FSM) - the hygienic emptying, transport, and treatment for reuse or disposal of fecal sludge - is an essential part of safely managed sanitation, especially in towns and cities in low- and middle-income countries with limited sewer coverage. The need for safe and affordable FSM services has become more acute as cities grow and densify. Hygienic pit-emptying uses equipment that limits direct human exposure with fecal sludge and hygienic transport conveys fecal sludge ...[more]

PMID: 32086016

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Irrational use of antibiotics is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa, where the risk of spread of AMR is highest, lacks data on the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antibiotic prescription and use. This is the first study in Mozambique to address this gap. METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 in 1091 adults (age ?18 years) living in five districts in peri-urban areas of Maputo City. Three stage cluster sampling was used to select the households. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics and their use and socio-demographic data. RESULTS:Of the 1091 participants, 20.9% (228/1091) had used non-prescribed antibiotics. Most of the non-prescribed antibiotics were purchased in pharmacies (199/228; 87.3%). The proportion of use of non-prescribed antibiotics was higher in those who purchased from informal markets (82.6%; 14/17) and home stores (66.7%; 12/18), compared to pharmacies (24.6%; 199/810) (p = 0.000). Variables significantly associated with use of non-prescribed antibiotics were male gender (p = 0.004), living in the Central A (p<0.001), Aeroporto B (p<0.001) or 25 de Junho (p<0.001) neighborhoods, purchase of antibiotics in informal markets (p<0.002) or obtaining from home stores (p = 0.026), not completing the course (p<0.001) and having poor knowledge on the use of antibiotics (p<0.001). Main reasons for use of non-prescribed antibiotics were a perception that there was no need to attend a health facility (26.8%), followed by someone else's advice (7.7%), symptoms similar to a previous episode (6.2%) and poor quality of care in health facilities (6.7%). CONCLUSIONS:Our study shows for the first time that knowledge regarding antibiotics is poor in Maputo City. Purchase of non-prescribed antibiotics is a common practice and most are sold in pharmacies, indicating deficient inspection. Interventions to reinforce adherence by pharmacies to current legislation for dispensing antibiotics, combined with community education are urgently needed.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Enteric infections are common where public health infrastructure is lacking. This study assesses risk factors for a range of enteric infections among children living in low-income, unplanned communities of urban Maputo, Mozambique. METHODS & FINDINGS:We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 17 neighborhoods of Maputo to assess the prevalence of reported diarrheal illness and laboratory-confirmed enteric infections in children. We collected stool from children aged 1-48 months, independent of reported symptoms, for molecular detection of 15 common enteric pathogens by multiplex RT-PCR. We also collected survey and observational data related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) characteristics; other environmental factors; and social, economic, and demographic covariates. We analyzed stool from 759 children living in 425 household clusters (compounds) representing a range of environmental conditions. We detected ?1 enteric pathogens in stool from most children (86%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 84-89%) though diarrheal symptoms were only reported for 16% (95% CI: 13-19%) of children with enteric infections and 13% (95% CI: 11-15%) of all children. Prevalence of any enteric infection was positively associated with age and ranged from 71% (95% CI: 64-77%) in children 1-11 months to 96% (95% CI: 93-98%) in children 24-48 months. We found poor sanitary conditions, such as presence of feces or soiled diapers around the compound, to be associated with higher risk of protozoan infections. Certain latrine features, including drop-hole covers and latrine walls, and presence of a water tap on the compound grounds were associated with a lower risk of bacterial and protozoan infections. Any breastfeeding was also associated with reduced risk of infection. CONCLUSIONS:We found a high prevalence of enteric infections, primarily among children without diarrhea, and weak associations between bacterial and protozoan infections and environmental risk factors including WASH. Findings suggest that environmental health interventions to limit infections would need to be transformative given the high prevalence of enteric pathogen shedding and poor sanitary conditions observed. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02362932.

Project description:ObjectivesToilet users often report valuing outcomes such as privacy and safety more highly than reduced disease, but effects of urban sanitation interventions on such outcomes have never been assessed quantitatively. In this study, we evaluate the impact of a shared sanitation intervention on quality of life (QoL) and mental well-being.DesignWe surveyed individuals living in intervention and control clusters of a recent non-randomised controlled trial, and used generalised linear mixed regression models to make an observational comparison of outcomes between arms.SettingLow-income unsewered areas of Maputo City, Mozambique.ParticipantsWe interviewed 424 participants, 222 from the prior trial's intervention group and 202 from the control group.InterventionsThe control group used low-quality pit latrines. The intervention group received high-quality shared toilets, with users contributing 10%-15% of capital cost.OutcomesOur primary outcome was the Sanitation-related QoL (SanQoL) index, which applies respondent-derived weights to combine perceptions of sanitation-related disgust, privacy, safety, health and shame. Secondary outcomes were the WHO-5 mental well-being index and a sanitation Visual Analogue Scale.ResultsThe intervention group experienced a 1.6 SD gain in SanQoL compared with the control group. This adjusted SanQoL gain was 0.34 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.38) on a 0-1 scale with control mean 0.49. Effect sizes were largest for safety and privacy attributes. Intervention respondents also experienced a 0.2 SD gain in mental well-being. The adjusted gain was 6.2 (95% CI 0.3 to 12.2) on a 0-100 scale with control mean 54.4.ConclusionsQoL outcomes are highly valued by toilet users and can be improved by sanitation interventions. Such outcomes should be measured in future sanitation trials, to help identify interventions which most improve people's lives. Since SanQoL weights are derived from respondent valuation, our primary result can be used in economic evaluation.

Dataset Information

Impact of an intervention to improve pit latrine emptying practices in low income urban neighborhoods of Maputo, Mozambique.

Publications

Impact of an intervention to improve pit latrine emptying practices in low income urban neighborhoods of Maputo, Mozambique.

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