Household water insecurity will complicate the ongoing COVID-19 response: Evidence from 29 sites in 23 low- and middle-income countries

Household Water Insecurity Experiences-Research Coordination Network (HWISE-RCN)

doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113715

Household water insecurity will complicate the ongoing COVID-19 response: Evidence from 29 sites in 23 low- and middle-income countries

Household Water Insecurity Experiences-Research Coordination Network (HWISE-RCN)

Anthropology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

54 Scopus citations

Abstract

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a set of public guidelines for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention measures that highlighted handwashing, physical distancing, and household cleaning. These health behaviors are severely compromised in parts of the world that lack secure water supplies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used empirical data gathered in 2017–2018 from 8,297 households in 29 sites across 23 LMICs to address the potential implications of water insecurity for COVID-19 prevention and response. These data demonstrate how household water insecurity presents many pathways for limiting personal and environmental hygiene, impeding physical distancing and exacerbating existing social and health vulnerabilities that can lead to more severe COVID-19 outcomes. In the four weeks prior to survey implementation, 45.9% of households in our sample either were unable to wash their hands or reported borrowing water from others, which may undermine hygiene and physical distancing. Further, 70.9% of households experienced one or more water-related problems that potentially undermine COVID-19 control strategies or disease treatment, including insufficient water for bathing, laundering, or taking medication; drinking unsafe water; going to sleep thirsty; or having little-to-no drinking water. These findings help identify where water provision is most relevant to managing COVID-19 spread and outcomes.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	113715
Journal	International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
Volume	234
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113715
State	Published - May 2021

Funding

The authors acknowledge the support of the Household Water Insecurity Experiences Research Coordination Network (HWISE RCN) funded by National Science Foundation grant number BCS-1759972. The HWISE study was funded with the Competitive Research Grants to Develop Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA). IMMANA is funded with UK Aid from the UK government. This project was also supported by the Buffett Institute for Global Studies and the Center for Water Research at Northwestern University; Arizona State University's Center for Global Health at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change and Decision Center for a Desert City (National Science Foundation SES-1462086); the Office of the Vice Provost for Research of the University of Miami; and the National Institutes of Health grant NIEHS/FIC R01ES019841 for the Kahemba Study, DRC. SLY was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIMH R21 MH108444; NIMH K01 MH098902). WEJ was supported by the National Science Foundation (BCS-1560962) and the Texas A&M University-CONACYT Research Collaborative Grant. CS was supported by the Lloyd's Register Foundation. Funders of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation or writing of the report. Authors had full access to all study data and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication. The authors acknowledge the support of the Household Water Insecurity Experiences Research Coordination Network (HWISE RCN) funded by National Science Foundation grant number BCS-1759972 . The HWISE study was funded with the Competitive Research Grants to Develop Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) . IMMANA is funded with UK Aid from the UK government. This project was also supported by the Buffett Institute for Global Studies and the Center for Water Research at Northwestern University ; Arizona State University\u2019s Center for Global Health at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change and Decision Center for a Desert City ( National Science Foundation SES-1462086); the Office of the Vice Provost for Research of the University of Miami ; and the National Institutes of Health grant NIEHS/FIC R01ES019841 for the Kahemba Study, DRC. SLY was supported by the National Institutes of Health ( NIMH R21 MH108444 ; NIMH K01 MH098902 ). WEJ was supported by the National Science Foundation ( BCS-1560962 ) and the Texas A&M University - CONACYT Research Collaborative Grant. CS was supported by the Lloyd\u2019s Register Foundation . Funders of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation or writing of the report. Authors had full access to all study data and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.

Keywords

COVID-19
Global health
SARS-CoV-2
WASH
Water insecurity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113715

Cite this

@article{b3716f7d9202433a8044a2cd91798a29,

title = "Household water insecurity will complicate the ongoing COVID-19 response: Evidence from 29 sites in 23 low- and middle-income countries",

abstract = "In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a set of public guidelines for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention measures that highlighted handwashing, physical distancing, and household cleaning. These health behaviors are severely compromised in parts of the world that lack secure water supplies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used empirical data gathered in 2017–2018 from 8,297 households in 29 sites across 23 LMICs to address the potential implications of water insecurity for COVID-19 prevention and response. These data demonstrate how household water insecurity presents many pathways for limiting personal and environmental hygiene, impeding physical distancing and exacerbating existing social and health vulnerabilities that can lead to more severe COVID-19 outcomes. In the four weeks prior to survey implementation, 45.9% of households in our sample either were unable to wash their hands or reported borrowing water from others, which may undermine hygiene and physical distancing. Further, 70.9% of households experienced one or more water-related problems that potentially undermine COVID-19 control strategies or disease treatment, including insufficient water for bathing, laundering, or taking medication; drinking unsafe water; going to sleep thirsty; or having little-to-no drinking water. These findings help identify where water provision is most relevant to managing COVID-19 spread and outcomes.",

keywords = "COVID-19, Global health, SARS-CoV-2, WASH, Water insecurity",

author = "{Household Water Insecurity Experiences-Research Coordination Network (HWISE-RCN)} and Justin Stoler and Miller, {Joshua D.} and Alexandra Brewis and Freeman, {Matthew C.} and Harris, {Leila M.} and Wendy Jepson and Pearson, {Amber L.} and Rosinger, {Asher Y.} and Shah, {Sameer H.} and Chad Staddon and Cassandra Workman and Amber Wutich and Young, {Sera L.} and Ellis Adams and Farooq Ahmed and Mallika Alexander and Gershim Asiki and Mobolanle Balogun and Boivin, {Michael J.} and Genny Carrillo and Kelly Chapman and Stroma Cole and Collins, {Shalean M.} and Hassan Eini-Zinab and Jorge Escobar-Vargas and Hala Ghattas and Monet Ghorbani and Ashley Hagaman and Nicola Hawley and Zeina Jamaluddine and Divya Krishnakumar and Kenneth Maes and Jyoti Mathad and Jonathan Maupin and Owuor, {Patrick Mbullo} and Hugo Melgar-Qui{\~n}onez and Morales, {Milton Marin} and Javier Moran and Nasrin Omidvar and Sabrina Rasheed and Luisa Samayoa-Figueroa and S{\'a}nchez-Rodriguez, {Ernesto C.} and Santoso, {Marianne V.} and Schuster, {Roseanne C.} and Mahdieh Sheikhi and Sonali Srivastava and Andrea Sullivan and Yihenew Tesfaye and Nathaly Trivi{\~n}o and Alex Trowell",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier GmbH",

year = "2021",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113715",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "234",

journal = "International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health",

issn = "1438-4639",

publisher = "Elsevier GmbH",

}

Household water insecurity will complicate the ongoing COVID-19 response: Evidence from 29 sites in 23 low- and middle-income countries. / Household Water Insecurity Experiences-Research Coordination Network (HWISE-RCN).
In: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, Vol. 234, 113715, 05.2021.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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AU - Household Water Insecurity Experiences-Research Coordination Network (HWISE-RCN)

AU - Stoler, Justin

AU - Miller, Joshua D.

AU - Brewis, Alexandra

AU - Freeman, Matthew C.

AU - Harris, Leila M.

AU - Jepson, Wendy

AU - Pearson, Amber L.

AU - Rosinger, Asher Y.

AU - Shah, Sameer H.

AU - Staddon, Chad

AU - Workman, Cassandra

AU - Wutich, Amber

AU - Young, Sera L.

AU - Adams, Ellis

AU - Ahmed, Farooq

AU - Alexander, Mallika

AU - Asiki, Gershim

AU - Balogun, Mobolanle

AU - Boivin, Michael J.

AU - Carrillo, Genny

AU - Chapman, Kelly

AU - Cole, Stroma

AU - Collins, Shalean M.

AU - Eini-Zinab, Hassan

AU - Escobar-Vargas, Jorge

AU - Ghattas, Hala

AU - Ghorbani, Monet

AU - Hagaman, Ashley

AU - Hawley, Nicola

AU - Jamaluddine, Zeina

AU - Krishnakumar, Divya

AU - Maes, Kenneth

AU - Mathad, Jyoti

AU - Maupin, Jonathan

AU - Owuor, Patrick Mbullo

AU - Melgar-Quiñonez, Hugo

AU - Morales, Milton Marin

AU - Moran, Javier

AU - Omidvar, Nasrin

AU - Rasheed, Sabrina

AU - Samayoa-Figueroa, Luisa

AU - Sánchez-Rodriguez, Ernesto C.

AU - Santoso, Marianne V.

AU - Schuster, Roseanne C.

AU - Sheikhi, Mahdieh

AU - Srivastava, Sonali

AU - Sullivan, Andrea

AU - Tesfaye, Yihenew

AU - Triviño, Nathaly

AU - Trowell, Alex

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AB - In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a set of public guidelines for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention measures that highlighted handwashing, physical distancing, and household cleaning. These health behaviors are severely compromised in parts of the world that lack secure water supplies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used empirical data gathered in 2017–2018 from 8,297 households in 29 sites across 23 LMICs to address the potential implications of water insecurity for COVID-19 prevention and response. These data demonstrate how household water insecurity presents many pathways for limiting personal and environmental hygiene, impeding physical distancing and exacerbating existing social and health vulnerabilities that can lead to more severe COVID-19 outcomes. In the four weeks prior to survey implementation, 45.9% of households in our sample either were unable to wash their hands or reported borrowing water from others, which may undermine hygiene and physical distancing. Further, 70.9% of households experienced one or more water-related problems that potentially undermine COVID-19 control strategies or disease treatment, including insufficient water for bathing, laundering, or taking medication; drinking unsafe water; going to sleep thirsty; or having little-to-no drinking water. These findings help identify where water provision is most relevant to managing COVID-19 spread and outcomes.

KW - COVID-19

KW - Global health

KW - SARS-CoV-2

KW - WASH

KW - Water insecurity

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JO - International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

JF - International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

M1 - 113715

ER -

Household water insecurity will complicate the ongoing COVID-19 response: Evidence from 29 sites in 23 low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this