Journal of Water and Health
Volume 7, Issue 4, 2009, Pages 557-568

Quantifying the burden of disease associated with inadequate provision of water and sanitation in selected sub-Saharan refugee camps (Article) (Open Access)

Cronin A.A. , Shrestha D. , Spiegel P. , Gore F. , Hering H.
  • a Public Health and HIV Section, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 94 Rue de Montbrillant, 202 Geneva, Switzerland
  • b Public Health and HIV Section, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 94 Rue de Montbrillant, 202 Geneva, Switzerland
  • c Public Health and HIV Section, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 94 Rue de Montbrillant, 202 Geneva, Switzerland
  • d Robens Centre for Public and Environmental Health, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
  • e Public Health and HIV Section, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 94 Rue de Montbrillant, 202 Geneva, Switzerland

Abstract

A WHO methodology is used for the first time to estimate the burden of disease directly associated with incomplete water and sanitation provision in refugee camps in sub-Saharan African countries. In refugee camps of seven countries, containing just fewer than 1 million people in 2005, there were 132,000 cases of diarrhoea and over 280,000 reported cases of malaria attributable to incomplete water and sanitation provision. In the period from 2005 to 2007 1,400 deaths were estimated to be directly attributable to incomplete water and sanitation alone in refugee camps in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. A comparison with national morbidity estimates from WHO shows that although diarrhoea estimates in the camps are often higher, mortality estimates are generally much lower, which may reflect on more ready access to medical aid within refugee camps. Despite the many limitations, these estimates highlight the burden of disease connected to incomplete water and sanitation provision in refugee settings and can assist resource managers to identify camps requiring specific interventions. Additionally the results reinforce the importance of increasing dialogue between the water, sanitation and health sectors and underline the fact that efforts to reduce refugee morbidity would be greatly enhanced by strengthening water and sanitation provision. © IWA Publishing 2009.

Author Keywords

Refugee Water and sanitation Burden of disease DALYs

Index Keywords

refugee Africa south of the Sahara Refugees Malaria morbidity Databases, Factual Kenya Water Microbiology Disease sanitation Humans water availability Africa diarrhea Article Ethiopia health care access Tanzania world health organization diarrheal disease mortality water supply public health
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77949379553&doi=10.2166%2fwh.2009.089&partnerID=40&md5=7d4e8e1da8cae3140086dcac6b8bc626
DOI: 10.2166/wh.2009.089
ISSN: 14778920
Cited by: 11
Original Language: English