Environmental health: water, sanitation and beyond

Shea Rutstein, Macro International Inc.
Rosario Cespedes, Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI)
Reyes Jorge, Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI)

Environmental health is more than water supply and type of toilet/latrine. This study reports on the application of an envirnomental health module tested during the 2006 data collection cycle of the Peru Continuous DHS. The module includes in-depth sections on water supply, treatment, and storage; sanitation and waste water disposal; garbage storage, collection and disposal; household air pollution, storage and use of toxic substances, food hygienic practices and food storage; personal hygiene; handwashing practices and use of soap; presence of disease vectors; and near household contamination of air and water. Individual items are tabulated nationally, subnationally and by socio-economic status. Compound indicators are developed for each of the sections and combined into joint environmental health indicators to indicate the risks to health faced by families due to environmental conditions. The questions in the module are evaluated for utility and recommendations are made for both EH modules and for reporting.