Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: June | Volume: 9 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 260-264
Post Flood Health Hazards in Ernakulam District of Kerala: A Focus on Safe Water Supply and Control of Acute Diarrheal Disease
Dan Amitabha1, Philip Samuel.P2, Pasi Achhelal3, Waghmare Mahesh4
1Field Epidemiologist, All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, Kolkata
2Scientist ‘C’; ICMR-VCRC, Puducherry
3Public Health Specialist, Airport Health Organisation, Mumbai
4Assistant Director, National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi
Corresponding Author: Dan Amitabha
ABSTRACT
Background: Flooding is associated with an increased risk of infection, however this risk is low unless there is significant population displacement and /or water sources are compromised. In August 2018, Kerala state in India experienced a major flood after a heavy rain.
Objectives: Present study was conducted to examine the post flood status of safe water supply in flood affected areas of Ernakulam District of Kerala.
Materials and Methods: A mixed study design was used. The study was conducted during the period 15th to 30th September, 2018. During the study a total of 550 House Holds were surveyed from 11 purposively selected administrative areas. The Houses were selected by using Simple Random Sampling with 50 houses from each area. Data on safe water supply was collected by house to house survey by using a standardized pre-tested questionnaire and data on Acute Diarrheal Disease was collected from District Surveillance Unit (DSU). Data from DSU was collected for the year 2016, 2017 and 2018. At house hold level Orthotolidine (OT) Test was done to check the residual chlorine level and hence to assess the potability of the water. The presence of free chlorine in drinking water was correlated with the absence of most disease-causing organisms, and thus was taken as a measure of the potability of water. Results: out of 11 selected areas, 3 areas had water supply exclusively from well while another 3 areas had water supply exclusively through piped and in rest 5 areas the water supply was mixed i.e. both through well and pipe. In Mallapuram area 100% of the households had residual chlorine in potable water. In rest of the areas <50% of the households had residual chlorine in potable water. Cases of Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases (ADD) were more in year 2018 as compared to year 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Conclusion: During post flood period, though the reporting of ADD cases was increased however safe water supplied to the community was key to prevent any outbreak of ADD.
Key words: Acute Diarrhoeal Disease, Safe Water Supply, OT test, Post Flood Situation, Ernakulam, Kerala