In October and November of 1998, Hurricane Mitch hit Central America causing regional damage, killing an estimated 10,000 people and leaving approximately one-half million people homeless. The American Red Cross (ARC) provided relief and reconstruction assistance to Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala, including provision of improved water and sanitation in many communities. ARC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaborated on a survey of baseline water and sanitation resources and health indicators in select communities following Hurricane Mitch. Water samples were analyzed for microbial indicators of fecal contamination to provide a quantitative baseline for water quality. At the time of the baseline survey, all of the communities fell below the non-emergency water availability guideline of 50 liters per person per day. Less than 75% of the population in each community had access to and use of hygienic sanitation facilities. Hand washing indicators demonstrated that 35% or fewer of the primary childcare providers and food preparers in all study areas had adequate hand washing knowledge or appropriate handwashing behaviors. Water quality analyses showed that in every country a majority of household and community source waters were contaminated with coliform bacteria. These baseline data assisted the ARC in focusing their water and sanitation programming in these countries, and will provide data for comparison to a follow-up survey of health, water and sanitation indicators following implementation of the interventions.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1. Understand the importance of evaluating drinking water quality in post-disaster situations. 2. Provide a method to evaluate drinking water and sanitation issues in a post-disaster setting.
Keywords: Disasters, Water Quality
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: American Red Cross
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.