Water supply, sanitation and health risks in Douala, Cameroon

Abstract

With a view to contribute to the hygiene condition and improvement in the urban zones of Cameroon, a survey was carried out in March 2007 among 1400  households with respect to the water supply, sanitation and health risks in seven quarters of spontaneous habitat of Douala town. It results from this study that the majority of participants were married (76%). The populations are supplied with of  water especially by CAMWATER network (49% of households) and wells (50% of  households). The majority of participants evacuate solid waste in public refuse vats (56% of households). Household’s wastewater is especially discharged around the houses (21% of households) and in rivers (20% of households). The companies  present in the quarters discharge their wastewater in the drains. 52% of households deposit their excrements in latrines. We noticed in these quarters a prevalence of residences made out of hard materials (43% of households). Cholera (88.5% of households), Diarrhoea (70% of households), Dysenteries (74% of households), Typhoid fever (72% of households), Malaria (32% of households) and skin diseases (76% of households) were the most frequent diseases. These results highlight problems for which, it would firstly be necessary to attack in the research of the  improvement strategies for hygiene conditions in the populations of an urban  environment.

Key words: Environment, sanitation, water, diseases, Douala.