IWRA Proceedings

AbstractIntroduction and objectives With a population of 3 million inhabitants, Abidjan the economic capital of COTE d’IVOIRE has known according to the figures of UNICEF (1996) one of the most important growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (4.2%). This situation is due to the fact that the military and political crisis prevailing in the country since 2002 has increased the population growth by 1.5 million people toward the southern part of COTE d’IVOIRE. The overexploitation of the water supplies and the sanitation has been the main causes of the shortage of water estimated at 68% and an increase of water supplies as well as the sanitation system especially in the poor areas (CAP, 2007). This study based on the repeated difficult access to water and the urbanization aims at assessing the access to water, the sanitation system as well as its consequences related to health in the poor areas of Abidjan. Methods The present study was carried in 2007 using a questionnaire based on an interview. The thematic used were related to the problems of access, the use of water, the sanitation and the health of the children under 5. The sample was chosen at random at two levels completed from the database of COTE d’IVOIRE’s census. One thousand families were selected in 21 poor areas from five communes of the city. Results Our survey took into account a population of 360,073 households which compose a population of about 158,000 inhabitants. The family’s access to the municipal water network was 23% but 10% of the households was connected to its. The supply of drinking water also came from street water sellers (75%) as well as the wells (27%). For the domestic use, the families resorted to the sellers (69%), wells (45%) and rains (6%). The storing of water in non-hygienic way was observed in 45% households. The independent water sanitation facilities (62%) and the open defecation (19%) were the most use sanitation services. Regarding health measures, 27% families were concerned by a case of diarrhea affecting at least a child under 5. Conclusion In the poor areas the access to running water and the sanitation is a major stake for the population’s health particularly the one of the children. Considering the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the improvement of the urban infrastructures as well as the population health measures education are regarded as solutions for the simultaneous implementation for the population development.