Household Water Treatment and Storage Practices Among Residents in Mogadishu Somalia

Abstract

Background: Consumption of contaminated water can affect human health and even lead to high morbidity and mortality, particularly among under-five children. Thus, determining household water treatment and proper management is vital to eliminate contamination. This study aimed to assess the household water treatment and storage practices among Warta-Nabada residents in Mogadishu, Somalia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 386 households from the April to June 2018 period. A multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select sample units from the households to obtain accurate data. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Also, SPSS version 21 was used for data entry and analysis, respectively. The univariate, bivariate, and multivariate levels were analyzed to see a significant association between variables. The statistical significance was declared at a value < 0.05 with 95% confidence intervals in the final model. Results: The majority of participants, 291 (75.4%), used plastic containers for water storage at a household level, while 48 (12.4%) used clay pots, followed by 47 (12.2%) cement tanks. Most containers used for water storage were plastic containers due to their availability and low cost. Participants who had containers were 227 (58.8%). Approximately 114 (29.5%) had two containers. The number of people who practice boiling water was relatively low (15.8%). The distance of the water source from household 143 (37.0%) were more than 50 meters, regards to methods for water treatment, 91 (23.6%) were used for chlorination, and 61 (15.8%) were used for boiling, but 45 (11.7%) were used for filtration, and 22 (5.7%) used solar disinfection as well. Therefore, the most common water treatment method used was chlorination, accounting for (23.6%) of the total water treated. Conclusion: According to the results, it can be concluded there were significant variables for age, marital status, occupational, and education of the husband of the household water treatment level. When there was a high risk of acute water diarrhea or cholera, drinking water chlorination, boiling, and filtration were the most common household water treatment practices. Among a group of good practices, there were (73%) while the poor practices group had (27%). However, the majority of residents practice precisely. This study recommended developing a comprehensive national plan for scaling up the household water treatment system with a holistic approach, allowing adequate service provision and addressing the need to provide for the most vulnerable groups with better practices.