Society For Family Health Launches WaterGuardPlus-Point Of Use Water Purification Product

Lagos Nigeria – Globally, diseases from unsafe water kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. 43% of these deaths are children under five years old. Over 88 per cent of diarrhoea cases in Nigeria are attributed to unsafe water and poor sanitation.

In Nigeria, about 41% of the population of 171 million people (approximately 70million people) lack access to safe water. Unsafe water is a global public health threat, placing persons at risk of a host of diseases. Hygiene related diseases, such as cholera anddiarrhoea, are the cause of approximately 2,300 deaths per day 2,195 of which are children. This number is more than deaths from AIDS, malaria, and measles combined.

Our ultimate long-term goal for establishing a sustained culture of clean water, is for piped in water to be accessible to all people in all communities in Nigeria. There are several organizations carrying out on-going advocacy to the government in that regard.

While structures are put in place to make that a reality in the future, there is an urgent need to provide water that is safe for drinking to Nigerians who live without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Currently, Nigeria is one of ten countries that contribute to two thirds of the global population without access to water. This is unacceptable.

In the range of possible water quality interventions, household-based chlorination is; the most effective, most cost efficient and the easiest to use for especially low literate communities. Society for Family Health began providing point of use water purification products with the introduction of WaterGuard in 2004. WaterGuard was a liquid point-of-use water purification product that gained ground quickly and worked very well to purify water. It’s liquid formulation however meant that it had a short shelf life and when demand outstripped availability, led to constant stock outs of the product. To address this, SFH went into research and development with partners and the product manufacturer and reformulated an alternative product, WaterGuard Plus that addresses these concerns.

Water Guard Plus is a product that is strategically designed to address the need for clean water in a simple, easily usable format that makes water safe for drinking and, consequently, contributes to meeting key Maternal and Neo-natal Health (MNCH) deliverables. The product is manufactured by one of the few WHO pre-qualified manufacturers and is in powder form.

Speaking at the launch event about the WaterGuard Plus product, Sir Bright Ekweremadu, Managing Director for Society for Family Health said, “WaterGuard Plus meets all standards of quality and appropriateness for communities in Nigeria. It is easy to use, the more stable powder formula makes it more suitable for our tropical climate and gives the product a longer shelf life which encourages long term use. WaterGuard Plus also kills 99.9% of germs, the durable packaging is conducive for transportation to both rural and urban areas, and the product is ideal for both personal and industrial use”

WaterGuard Plus is a product that will plug in strategically to existing water, sanitation and hygiene programmes across Nigeria and, we believe, will be critical in ensuring both rural and urban households have access to clean and safe water. This will reduce the rates of diarrhoeal related illnesses and deaths with the ripple effect of better school attendance for children who might have lost school days due to illness and parents who can have more productive days to pursue income generating activities thereby interrupting the circle of poverty.

Society for Family Health Nigeria is one of Nigeria’s leading nongovernmental nonprofit organisations, currently implementing programmes in maternal and child health, cervical cancer, reproductive health, family planning, malaria prevention and treatment and safe water systems; SFH’s programme strategy involves; research, behaviour change communication and social marketing and targets the poor and vulnerable in hard-to-reach communities nationwide.

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