A Preview of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices in Kofai Community of Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

Water, including sources and types of treatment, sanitation and hygiene practices affect human health. The prevention, control and protection against outbreaks of water related diseases is crucial. The study assessed water, sanitation and hygiene related conditions and practices of the households in Kofai community to determine appropriate public health interventions for the community. A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out using 372 individual households selected using multistage random sampling method after due consents and ethical processes. The analysis of data was done using the SPSS software version 20.0 and Microsoft Excel 2010. The result showed that 204 (54.8%) participants were females; 267 (71.8%) were married; the mean age was 33.6±11.9 and farming formed approximately 31.2% of all occupational categories amongst the respondents. The sources of water supply was mainly through vendors 130 (34.9%), followed by borehole 92 (24.7%), well 71 (19.1%) and rain water 36 (9.7%). Type of treatment for drinking water included boiling (18.5%), filtration with cloth (16.1%), use of chlorine tablet (5.7%) and no form of treatment at all (59.7%). Only 84 (22.6%) had facility for hand washing. Domestic waste disposal practices include open dumping (73%), burning (18%), and refuse pit (9%). Sewage disposal practices were open defecation (36%), while 64% were using latrines. Of all latrines, 42.4% were pit latrines, 39.0% were pour flush, and 18.6% were cistern flush. Water, sanitation and hygiene practices and infrastructure in Kofai are in mid-stage development. More of modern water supply in form of boreholes and pipe-borne water are needed, as well as sanitary disposal of domestic waste and sewage. Provision of more latrines will drastically reduce the open defecation practice seen in more than a third of the community. Deploying appropriate triggering intervention through sustained community led total sanitation has a potential of transforming the community to an open defecation free status towards Nigeria’s target of 2025.