The effect of improved water and sanitation on health status of households in Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State

Abstract

Water is a basic asset for man's wellbeing. Sanitation is one of the main dangers to public wellbeing in Nigeria because it is the fore most  ignored sector. it is therefore important to understand the impacts of improved water supply and sanitation. To this end this research is  thus aimed at investigating the effect of improved water supply and sanitation on health of populace in Zaria. This study analysed  possible links between WASH variables such as, sources of water, faecal disposal facilities and known WASH related diseases that  households are susceptible to. The study classifies source of water and faecal disposal facilities into improved/unproved water source/ faecal disposal, and chi square test was performed to see if there is an effect on health. The result suggests that 74.5% of households  with access to improved water sources reported suffering from one or more diseases. While this figure is lower than that for unimproved  water sources, it is still high, suggesting that even improved water sources may not fully protect against disease transmission. 78.2% of  respondents reported being affected by one disease or another in recent times. This high percentage indicates a significant burden of  disease in the community, likely linked to poor sanitation, hygiene, and water quality. The unexpected results for improved toilet facilities  warrant further investigation. Studies should assess the Studies should assess; the water quality at the point of use, other contributing factors, the functionality, accessibility, and usage patterns of improved toilets, as well as other contributing factors to disease prevalence.