Jill Luoto|Nusrat Najnin|Minhaj Mahmud|Jeff Albert|Mohammad Tarequl Islam|Stephen P. Luby|Leanne Unicomb|David I. Levine
What Point-of-Use Water Treatment Products Do Consumers Use? Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial among the Urban Poor in Bangladesh
RAND Corporation|International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research|Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies|International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research|Retina Institute|International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research|International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research|International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research|University of California, Berkeley
background evidence household pointofuse pou water treatment products reduce enormous burden waterborne illness nevertheless adoption among global poor low little evidence exists methods gave 600 households poor communities dhaka bangladesh randomlyordered twomonth free trials four water treatment products dilute liquid chlorine sodium hypochlorite solution marketed locally water guard sodium dichloroisocyanurate tablets branded aquatabs combined flocculantdisinfectant powdered mixture pur purifier water silvercoated ceramic siphon filter consumers also received education dangers untreated drinking water measured products consumers used selfreports observation filter chlorine tests products also measured drinking waters contamination e coli compared 200 control households findings households reported highest usage filter although product even 30 usage e coli concentrations stored drinking water generally lowest households water guard households selfreported product usage large reductions e coli concentrations product compared controls conclusion traditional arguments low adoption pou products focus affordability consumers lack information germs dangers unsafe water specific products meshing households preferences study provided free trials repeated informational messages explaining dangers untreated water variety product designs low usage products despite efforts makes clear important barriers exist beyond cost information variation among four product designs without better understanding choices aspirations target endusers householdbased water treatment unlikely reduce morbidity mortality substantially urban bangladesh similar populations