Abstract
Having access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities constitute a key component of healthy living and quality of life. Prolonged exposure to insanitary living conditions can significantly enhance the burden of infectious diseases among children and affect nutritional status and growth. In this study we examined the prevalence of some common infectious diseases/disease symptoms of childhood among under-five children in Nigeria, and the association between the occurrence of these diseases with household’s access to WASH facilities. Types of diseases used as outcome variables included diarrheal, and acute respiratory infections (fever and cough). Access to WASH facilities were defined by WHO classification. The association between diarrhoea, fever and chronic cough with sanitation, and hygiene was analyzed by logistic regression techniques. Results showed that the prevalence of diarrhoea, fever and cough was respectively 10.5% (95% CI = 9.7–2.0), 13.4% (95% CI = 11.9–14.8), and 10.4% (95% CI = 9.2–11.5). In the regression analysis, children in the households that lacked all three types of facilities were found to have respectively 1.32 [AOR = 1.329, 95% CI = 1.046–1.947], 1.24 [AOR = 1.242, 95% CI = 1.050–1.468] and 1.43 [AOR = 1.432, 95% CI = 1.113–2.902] times higher odds of suffering from diarrhea, fever and cough. The study concludes that unimproved WASH conditions is an important contributor to ARIs and diarrheal morbidities among Nigerian children. In light of these findings, it is recommended that programs targeting to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality from common infectious diseases should leverage equitable provision of WASH interventions.
Highlights
As one of the fastest urbanizing country in the continent, Nigeria is experiencing significant challenges to provide access to improved Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) to the population.Uncontrolled urbanization affects sanitation mainly through overcrowding of communities, constraints to quality housing, and reduced freshwater availability due to increasing consumption of water and water-intensive goods and pollution
Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2013 was the fourth of the kind in Nigeria which was implemented by the National Population Commission with the financial and technical assistance by
[AOR = 1.432, 95% CI = 1.113–2.902, p < 0.001] higher odds of suffering from diarrhoea, fever and cough
Summary
As one of the fastest urbanizing country in the continent, Nigeria is experiencing significant challenges to provide access to improved Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) to the population. Uncontrolled urbanization affects sanitation mainly through overcrowding of communities, constraints to quality housing, and reduced freshwater availability due to increasing consumption of water and water-intensive goods and pollution. The situation is exacerbated by poor environmental management and regulation which are failing to prevent the pollution of fresh water resources by accumulation of household and industrial waste water effluents [1]. Water crisis is looming large in the rural areas as well which is felt especially during the dry seasons, leaving as high as 70% of. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1241; doi:10.3390/ijerph15061241 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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