Purpose of Initiative: The Safe Water System (SWS) is an international partnership that reduces diarrheal diseases in children under 5 years old and other vulnerable populations through the provision of locally produced water disinfectant and safe water storage containers, and by advocating behavior change techniques that result in improved hygiene. The SWS uses local resources, typically involves public-private partnerships with strong civil society involvement, and employs community mobilization and social marketing approaches.

The SWS is also used as an ?entry point? into households for the promotion and implementation of other interventions. Other SWS applications include improving street vendor hygiene in beverage preparation, prevention of contamination of fluids used in re-hydrating cholera victims, and the prevention of diarrheal infections in persons with HIV/AIDS.

Partners: Governments: Ministries of Health in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Zambia, Madagascar, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Cote d'Ivoire, India, Laos, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Burkina Faso, as well as the international development agencies in Japan and the United States. International Organizations: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank. Civil Society: Population Services International, CARE, Project Concern International, Plan International, Rotary International, Action Contre la Faim, Catholic Relief Services, Andean Rural Health Care, Society for Women with AIDS in Kenya, The AIDS Support Organization (Uganda), Environment and Public Health Organization (Nepal). Private Sector: Proctor and Gamble Company, Equipment and Systems Engineering, Inc. (USA), Exceltec International Corp. (USA), Chlorine Chemistry Council (USA), Arch Chemicals (USA), Jet Chemicals, Ltd. (Kenya), SFOI (Madagascar), Sulforwanda Industries (Rwanda), Max Chemicals (India), Triveni Plastics (India), Nampak (South Africa), Magric Uganda, Ltd., Tarmal Industries, Ltd. (Tanzania), Simba Plastics Co., Ltd. (Tanzania), Kleemkem Ltd. (Malawi), Enterprise Plastics (Malawi), Plamat Cia. (Bolivia). Academic/Research Institutions: Emory University School of Public Health, University of North Carolina School of Public Health, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Medical University of South Carolina, Tropical Institute of Community Health (Kenya), Tropical Diseases Research Centre (Zambia), Centro Nacional de Enfermedades Tropicales (Bolivia), Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud (Bolivia), University of Zambia, Centre National de Recherches sur l?Environnement (Madagascar).

Partnership Targets: To initiate or expand SWS projects in a minimum of twenty countries through partnerships with PSI, UNICEF, WHO, Emory University and other institutions.

Progress Toward Targets: Beginning in 1997, SWS projects have been initiated in Latin America and the Caribbean (Bolivia, Ecuador, Haiti, and Peru), Africa (Burkina Faso, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia), and Asia (India, Laos, Nepal, and Pakistan). Field trials in these three continents have shown a reduction of risk of diarrhea from 30-85% following the implementation of SWS projects. The SWS has been used as an emergency response tool for earthquakes and flooding in Bolivia; cholera epidemics in Madagascar and Zambia; and flooding in Kenya and Malawi. CDC has joined with WHO, PSI, UNICEF, NGOs, and Ministries in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar to begin a regional SWS initiative that could become a model for regional expansion in other parts of the world. A Network to Promote Safe Household Water Treatment and Storage has been established through a multi-sector partnership of over 30 organizations, with a secretariat based at the WHO Water, Sanitation, and Health Program. In 2004, as a result of the robust partnership between civil society and the public and private sectors, plans are in place for the Safe Water System to be implemented in nine new countries, including Nigeria, Haiti, Mozambique, Indonesia, Myanmar, Burundi, Bangladesh, Cote d?Ivoire, and Uzbekistan.

Next Steps: To implement the Safe Water System projects in Nigeria, Haiti, Indonesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Burundi, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Cote d?Ivoire.

Resources: Ministries of Health and Water have provided significant in-kind resources and promoted the Safe Water System and hand hygiene in existing health programs. U.S. government contributions have included financial support (from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and technical support (from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Civil society groups and international organizations have also provided financial support to projects in a number of countries.

USG Primary Points of Contact

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:  Robert Quick, MD MPH (tel.: 404/639-2208; e-mail: rquick@cdc.gov)
United States Agency for International Development:  John Borrazzo, Ph.D. (tel.: 202/712-4816; e-mail: jborrazzo@usaid.gov)