Tanzania: NIMR Develops Water Treatment Formula

Water Treatment Formula Developed In Tanzania

HOPE for reducing the number of children dying from diarrhoea annually in the country is high after a more effective water purification formula has been found.

The formula branded 'Takasamaji' developed by the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) is capable of reducing incidences of diarrhoea by 54 per cent and prevent bacterial contamination in water by 80 per cent. The NIMR Director of Research Coordination and Promotion, Dr Julius Massaga is optimistic that the technology will help thousands of children from dying from diarrhoea in the country. "We are targeting to scale up the research countrywide after we re-examine and improve the formula. However, this will depend on the availability of funds," he said, noting that the research was funded by Grand Challenges Canada at the tune of Canadian Dollars 100,000 (about 151.38m/-). According to him, NIMR was looking forward to embark on phase two of the research after the Takasamaji formula has been improved. The NIMR principal research scientist, Dr Kijakazi Mashoto, said the one-year research contracted by the institute in Mkuranga District, Coast Region, has provided a breakthrough in efforts to reduce child deaths caused by diarrhoea. The findings of the study titled: "The use of a simple technology to treat and store water: A strategy to prevent diarrhoea in rural areas of Tanzania", was unveiled on Wednesday in Mkuranga. "The main objective of the research was to assess whether a combination of safe drinking water and storage containers together with the Takasamaji technology are effective in the prevention of diarrhoea," she said while unveiling the findings, adding that the lack of access to safe drinking water, poor sanitation and consumption of contaminated water to a great extent contribute to diarrhoea. The study involved 3,197 individuals, including 849 children under the age of five years, who live in the 599 surveyed households in 32 villages of Panzuo and Nyamato wards in Mkuranga District. During the study, she said, a baseline survey showed that 6 per cent of the children under the age of five years develop diarrhoea. Dr Mashoto said that the research was necessitated by the fact that despite the availability of many locally and imported Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) technologies, none of them have proved to be suitable to the rural areas. "The absence of disinfection and unhygienic handling and preservation of water in rural areas are significant factors contributing to water contamination," she said. Source: Daily News Tanzania Here's The Bitly Link to Include In Your Share:http://bit.ly/1nXTINW

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Taxonomy

• Treatment
• Water Treatment & Control
• Research