1Post Graduate Student, Department of Community Medicine, Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Dr. Pinnamaneni Siddharttha Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Foundation, Gannavaram, A.P
3Professor and HOD, in Department Community Medicine, Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
4Professor, Department Community Medicine, guided the Study at, Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
5Guided the Study at Andhra Medical college, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
*Corresponding author: Dr. Chandrasekhar Vallepalli Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Dr. PSIMS & RF, Gannavaram, A.P., India.-521286, E-mail: drvchandrasekhar@gmail.com
Online published on 30 August, 2018.
World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that globally 1.5 million children die from diarrhoeal diseases each year, of which 88% of these deaths are due to inadequate sanitation, hygiene and drinking water. WASH is the collective term for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Access to WASH, in particular safe water, adequate sanitation, and proper hygiene education, can reduce illness and death, and also impact poverty reduction and socio-economic development. Improving drinking water condition and sanitation facilities remains a major concern globally.
To assess water, sanitation and hygiene practices among households of urban field practice area of department of Community Medicine, Andhra Medical college, Visakhapatnam.
A community based cross-sectional study was done in urban field practice area during the period of one month i.e. August 2015. A total of 150 households were selected using simple random sampling method. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was administered. Data collected was entered and analysed by using Microsoft Excel 2007 and expressed in percentages.
In our study, there were 596 members in the 150 households of which 286 (48%) were males and 310 (52%) were females. 64% of the households are practicing additional water purification at household level. Only 70.6% of households are having latrines in their house, remaining 29.4% are using public toilets. About 78.6% (118) of the households are having stagnant water around their house, of which 29 (24.6%), 3 (2.5%), 13 (11%) were have been suffering from diarrhoea, typhoid and malaria respectively in the last one month period.
The present study revealed Open Defecation Free (ODF) among households of urban slum of Visakhapatnam. There is a need to improve for water and sanitation conditions in the slum. Health education on Hygienic practices in handling stored drinking water and usage of soap and water for hand washing after defecation must be imparted through Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) promoting healthy lifestyles and positive health-seeking behaviour in the Community.
WASH, drinking water, hygiene, sanitation, open defecation, diarrhoea, ODF
