Improving Access to Safe Drinking Water in Nigeria Using Community Demonstrations and Local Chlorine Distribution

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a community-based chlorine distribution model to improve access to safe drinking water in Nigeria, where many people lack safely managed water and waterborne diseases cause significant child deaths. This cluster-randomized controlled trial RCT in Kano State aims to measure the impact of this intervention on chlorination rates, water quality, and knowledge about safe water practices over six months. The study divides thirty communities into three groups twenty treatment communities receive community demonstrations and local chlorine redemption points, while ten control communities receive no intervention initially. After three months, half of the control communities receive individual sensitization and a voucher program, and the other half remain as pure controls. The intervention includes community meetings demonstrating water treatment with WaterGuard, a chlorine product, and setting up local points where households can redeem chlorine supplies. Participants will be mainly pregnant women and women with children under five years old, attending community demonstrations and accessing redemption points. Researchers will collect water samples to test for chlorine use and E. coli contamination, track self-reported chlorine use, and assess participants knowledge about chlorine over six months. The study includes monitoring redemption logs and aims to provide evidence on sustainable, low-cost water treatment methods for wider regional use.

Expanding Access to Safe Water in Nigeria