ASSESSMENT OF THE PREVALENCE AND TRENDS OF WATERBORNE / VECTORBORNE DISEASES: A CASE OF KALUSA VILLAGE, TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY MALENGACHANZI NKHOTA-KOTA DISTRICT

Abstract

Water borne diseases are prevalent despite several interventions to reduce these diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, Malaria and bilharzia which are caused by several factors globally and in Malawi. The general objective of the study was to assess prevalence and trend of water borne diseases with relation to sanitation practices and water quality. The study was conducted in Kalusa village, Group Village Headman Kalimanjira, TA Malengachanzi, Nkhota-kota. There were a total of 12 water sources in the village, only 7 were working. The methodology includes secondary data collection from health centres, GPS mapping to come up with GIS points for water points and toilet facilities, questionnaire, and water quality tests of selected water parameters. Results indicated that the communities attributed that there was an increase in waterborne diseases and the water related vector borne disease Malaria despite several efforts to curb this. A lot of the water points that were perceived as safe water points i.e. tap water were either not functioning or the water is intermittent in distribution. Water contamination leading to a lot of waterborne diseases could be caused by water handling or perhaps this could be researched further. With lack of previous data to compare and contrast the results, perhaps the water is always highly contaminated or perhaps this is a new trend. Water quality parameters were in the unsafe ranges for consumption according to Malawi standards and no trends were unravelled due to lack of historical data; however, the temporal bacteriological data obtained suggested that water contamination might lead to water borne diseases.