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Guinea Worm and Water Supply in Kordofan, Sudan
Author(s) -
CAIRNCROSS S.,
TAYEH A.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-6593.1988.tb01288.x
Subject(s) - new guinea , context (archaeology) , casual , open water , water supply , geography , toxicology , biology , environmental science , environmental engineering , fishery , archaeology , composite material , history , ethnology , materials science
SYNOPSIS A study of a guinea worm epidemiology in South Kordofan, Sudan, found two different patterns of infection. In four villages, all with large open reservoirs (hafirs), the one‐year period prevalence was over 34 per cent, and was not strongly related to age. In the remaining 23 villages, the prevalence did not exceed 20 per cent but was greater in adults than in children. The former pattern suggested contamination of the water carried home, while the latter appeared to be associated with casual use of water sources outside the village. Guinea worm disease was associated with the use of certain water sources, particularly in the poorly‐maintained hafirs, but not with hand pumps, when these functioned, or open dug wells. In this context, open dug wells seem to be a more cost‐effective intervention for guinea worm control than boreholes with hand pumps or the rehabilitation of hafirs.