Estimating the Incidence of Water Related Diseases: the case of Neglected Tropical Diseases in Rural Nigeria

Abstract

Water-related neglected tropical diseasesare endemic among rural and farming households in Nigeria. The burden of these diseases on farm families and the society as a whole has not been fully appreciated as a result of limited empirical evidence of the incidence of the diseases at household level. This paper examined the incidence of four water-related neglected tropical diseases in rural Nigeria using data from the National Demographic and Health survey of 2008. Descriptive statistics were used to profile the incidence of the diseases across household socioeconomic and water/sanitation characteristics with the aim of linking water use and sanitation dynamics with the incidence of the identified water related Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The results showed that NTDs were endemic among rural households in northern Nigeria. The NTDs were also highest among the poorest households, with low levels of formal education. Water-related factors that predisposes rural farm families to the diseases were source of drinking water, water treatment methods andsanitation type. It is recommended that sustainable water supply based on inclusive participation of all stakeholders be put in place to forestall the spread of the disease among rural households in Nigeria.