Approvisionnement en eau dans la commune des Parcelles Assainies de Dakar (Sénégal): perception de la qualité et pratiques des populations

L’eau est indispensable pour satisfaire les besoins domestiques et alimentaires, mais sa disponibilité permanente est une préoccupation réelle en milieu urbain notamment dans les quartiers défavorisés des pays en développement. Le manque d’eau et la qualité de celle-ci exposent les populations particulièrement les enfants aux maladies hydriques. L’objectif de ce travail est d’identifier les différentes sources d’approvisionnement en eau et d’évaluer la perception de la qualité de l’eau et son impact sur la santé par les populations de la commune des Parcelles Assainies de Dakar. La méthodologie adoptée dans cette étude est basée sur une enquête qui a consisté à administrer aux ménages un questionnaire pré-validé. La méthode des quotas a permis de sélectionner 400 ménages répartis dans les différents quartiers de la commune. Les résultats indiquent que 82,3 % de la population de la commune s’approvisionnent avec l’eau du robinet et 70,5 % utilisent des pompes manuelles en cas de coupure d’eau. L’eau du robinet sert essentiellement de boisson (73 %) et celle des pompes manuelles pour la douche, le linge et les travaux ménagers. La majorité de la population (56 %) trouve que la qualité de l’eau est moyennement bonne, 24 % indiquent qu’elle est bonne et 20 % considèrent qu’elle est mauvaise. L’odeur est le paramètre organoleptique le plus utilisé par la population (68 %) pour apprécier la qualité de l’eau suivi du goût (63 %) et de la couleur (62 %). Cette situation justifie le traitement de l’eau à domicile avant usage avec l’eau de javel (66,7 %), de comprimés désinfectant Aquatabs® (32,2 %), la filtration et la décantation (21,9 %). Par ailleurs, 75 % des enquêtés trouvent que la fréquence des maladies diarrhéiques chez les enfants est liée à la qualité de l’eau. L’analyse des résultats montre une diversité des sources d’approvisionnement liée au manque de moyens économiques associés aux fréquentes coupures d’eau du robinet, une mauvaise perception de la qualité de l’eau et une fréquence élevée de maladies liée à l’eau chez les enfants.   Water is essential to meet domestic and food needs, but its permanent availability is a real concern in urban areas, particularly in disadvantaged neighborhoods in developing countries. The lack of water and its quality exposes populations, particularly children, to water-borne diseases. The objective of this work is to identify the different sources of water supply and to evaluate the perception of water quality and its impact on health by the populations of the commune of Parcelles Assainies de Dakar. The methodology adopted in this study is based on a survey that consisted of administering a pre-validated questionnaire to households. The quota method made it possible to select 400 households distributed in the different neighborhoods of the commune. The results indicate that 82.3 % of the commune's population is supplied with tap water and 70.5 % use hand pumps in the event of water cuts. Tap water is mainly used for drinking (73 %) and hand pumps for showering, laundry and housework. The majority of the population (56 %) finds the water quality to be moderately good, 24 % indicate that it is good and 20 % consider it to be poor. Odour is the organoleptic parameter most used by the population (68 %) to assess water quality, followed by taste (63 %) and color (62 %). This situation justifies treating water at home before use with bleach (66.7 %), Aquatabs® disinfectant tablets (32.2 %), filtration and decantation (21.9 %). In addition, 75 % of respondents felt that the frequency of diarrheal diseases in children is related to water quality. Analysis of the results shows a diversity of sources of supply linked to the lack of economic means associated with frequent tap water cuts, poor perception of water quality and a high frequency of water-related illnesses among children

Water, sanitation, and hygiene access in Senegal and its impact on the occurrence of diarrhea in children under 5 years old

Diarrheal diseases are the second leading cause of child mortality worldwide, occurring in about one in every nine child deaths, and were associated with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) access. In this study, we provided an overview of WASH indicators' evolution from 2000 to 2017 and their impact on the occurrence of diarrhea in children under 5 years old in Senegal. It was a retrospective cross-sectional study, in which we did a secondary analysis of data from the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) for water supply and sanitation and from the Senegal Demographic and Health Survey 2018. Our results showed that access to safely managed services increased by 18.1 and 19.1%, respectively, for water and sanitation. The prevalence of diarrhea estimated at 18.16% was associated with straining water through a cloth (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.21 [1.00–1.45]) and getting water supplies from a source not located in a dwelling (AOR [95% CI]: 1.59 [1.21–2.09]). The prevalence of diarrhea among children under 5 years old was still relatively high in Senegal and was significantly associated with a lack of WASH access. Although the latter continues to increase, additional efforts to make water safer to drink will significantly reduce the occurrence of diarrheal diseases among children under 5 years old in Senegal. HIGHLIGHTS WASH access has improved in recent years; however, the prevalence of diarrhea is still relatively high.; Diarrhea is associated with a lack of WASH access. Indeed, straining water through a cloth and getting water supplies from a source not located in a dwelling are associated with an excess risk of diarrhea among children under 5 years old.; Interventions to improve WASH are opportunities to save lives and are cost-effective measures.