Water supply, sanitation and health risks in Douala 5 municipality, Cameroon.
BACKGROUND
In the poor zones of sub-Saharan Africa, the conventional drinking water network is very weak. The populations use alternative groundwater sources which are wells and springs. However, because of urbanization, the groundwater sources are degrading gradually making pure, safe, healthy and odourless drinking water a matter of deep concern. There are many pollutants in groundwater due to seepage of organic and inorganic pollutants, heavy metals as well as microbiological contamination. This study was carried out in October 2012 and aimed to analyze the practices and behaviors of populations related to water supply that may constitute potential risks of microbiological contamination and emergence of waterborne diseases.


METHODS
This study was carried out on a sample of 285 households, distributed in twelve principal quarters of the Douala V municipality in Cameroon. After data collection through the questionnaires, the selection of vulnerable quarters was done by the tabulation of some specific results on the questionnaire. The microbiological analysis was carried out using an innovative rapid test called &quot;Micro Biological Survey (MBS)&quot; that has been developed and patented by MBS srl, a recent spin-off of the University of Roma Tre.


RESULTS
We found out that 42.30% of households used water from drilled wells (forages), 33.80% from Cameroon National Water Company (CDE) distribution network, 9.50% from spring, and 9.40% used other source of water such as buying industrial mineral water. However, it should be noted that, as dangerous as it may be, wells (&quot;puits&quot; in French) water is used as permanent source of drinking water by 5% of households. In general, 63.2% of households affirmed not to have benefited the fitting of public water point. Moreover, among the quarters were the households affirmed to have benefited from the development of a public water point, 52.5% of these water point were no longer functional. From the obtained data we have assessed that 83% of wells analyzed are faecally contaminated and all the forages analyzed (100%) are not contaminated. The most affected people by water-related diseases are children under 5 years (43%).


CONCLUSIONS
We highly recommend the City Council of Douala V to restrict the use of the contaminated wells and provide alternative water sources such as forages for public use and to ensure that microbiological quality of the new and already existing water sources is controlled regularly by the Technical Service.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
Sobze Martin
SM
Sanou
Department of Soil Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
Emile
E
Temgoua
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
Wadoum Raoul
WR
Guetiya
Department of Biology, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy.
Alyexandra
A
Arienzo
Department of Biology, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy.
Francesca
F
Losito
Chantal Biya International Reference Centre (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Joseph
J
Fokam
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
James-Francis
JF
Onohiol
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
Bruna
B
Djeunang
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
Ngoufack François
NF
Zambou
Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome la Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Gianluca
G
Russo
Department of Biology, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy.
Giovanni
G
Antonini
School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Augusto
A
Panà
Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Vittorio
V
Colizzi
D000328:Adult; D002163:Cameroon; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D012499:Sanitation / Q000592:standards*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult