Diarrheal Disease

In over 30 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, PSI combats diarrheal disease by educating individuals about purifying drinking water in the home, practicing improved hygiene and offering treatment. PSI’s programs ensure that families have the tools to maintain the health of their children.
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Diarrheal Disease Prevention

PSI and its many partners are working together to promote the Safe Water System, a water quality intervention that employs proven, easy-to-use and inexpensive solutions appropriate for the developing world. The Safe Water System (SWS) was developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1996. The objective of the Safe Water System is to make water safe to drink at the household through chlorine-based household water treatment and safe storage at the point of use.

Household Water Treatment

Household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) ensures that each sip of water is safe to drink. HWTS can be adopted quickly, inexpensively, at national scale in both development and emergency situations, making an immediate difference on the lives of those who rely on transporting to and storing water in their homes. HWTS works to address water quality issues while complementing water supply, hygiene, and sanitation interventions. This approach was highlighted in the 2003 UN World Water Development Report as the most cost effective water purification solution.

Preventing recontamination of drinking water through the residual protection of chlorine, HWT keeps properly stored water safe for 24 hours after treatment. Through numerous field-based studies, chlorine-based HWT prevents new episodes of diarrhea on average of 50%.

Safe Water Storage

Behavior change techniques and communications to promote hand washing, latrine use and household treatment of drinking water, including social marketing, community mobilization, health education and promotion. These activities increase awareness of the link between contaminated water and disease, the benefits of safe water, and hygiene behaviors. Because fecal contamination from poor sanitation practices and unwashed hands and foods also can spread disease, PSI’s communications also promote of supportive hygienic behaviors such as hand washing.

Diarrheal Disease Treatment

For families affected by diarrhea, PSI and its partners work together to provide treatment options. These options include oral rehydration salts to counteract the potentially fatal dehydration caused by diarrhea, and zinc supplements to decrease the incidence, severity, duration and recurrence of diarrheal disease in children.

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