Coupons for Safe Water Project

The University of Chicago

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Death; Death, Infant; Diarrhea; Water-Borne Infectious Disease; Water-Related Diseases; Diarrhea, Infantile

Treatments: Other: Coupons for safe water program: Control; Other: Coupons for safe water program: Treatment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05766826

DILChlorine Coupons Project

Details and patient eligibility

About

Guaranteeing access to safe drinking water is still a challenge in rural households in developing countries, and unsafe water sources are responsible for millions of deaths each year around the world. Coupons for free dilute chlorine solution are a cost-effective and effective way of ameliorating child health and reducing diarrhea incidence. It is still an empirical challenge, however, to see if the positive health effects will be maintained when the program is implemented at scale. In this study, investigators conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) at scale to study the impacts of a chlorine coupon program implemented at health clinics on child health, including self-reported diarrhea, fever, and cough incidence in the previous two weeks. Investigators further investigate the pathway of the impact, such as self-reported and objectively measured use of chlorine and frequency of visits to health clinics.

Full description

Guaranteeing access to safe drinking water is still a challenge in rural households in developing countries, and unsafe water sources are responsible for millions of deaths each year around the world. Coupons for free dilute chlorine solution are (i) a cost-effective solution to targeting water treatment for households that need it and will use it and (ii) an effective way of ameliorating child health and reducing diarrhea incidence. It is still an empirical challenge, however, to see if the positive health effects will be maintained when the program is implemented at scale. In this study, investigators conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) at scale to study the impacts of a chlorine coupon program implemented at health clinics on child health, including self-reported diarrhea, fever, and cough incidence in the previous two weeks. Investigators further study the pathway of the impact, such as self-reported and objectively measured use of chlorine and frequency of visits to health clinics. Investigators monitor the program's impact at Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) sites in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). Data collection includes child mortality, as well as verbal autopsies for deceased children. Data on mortality will be useful for future meta-analyses that pool data from multiple studies in order to estimate the mortality impact of free chlorine distribution schemes.

Enrollment: 3,468 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Currently pregnant women
• Women living inside Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) catchment areas.

Exclusion criteria

• Women who do not consent.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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3,468 participants in 2 patient groups

Treatment Arm

Experimental group

Description:

After enrollment over a phone call, they receive a SMS text message with an ID number to receive their coupons at the health facility. Those coupons can be used to redeem WaterGuard 150mL dilute chlorine. Participants in this group will receive a packet of coupons that ensure a monthly supply of a150ml bottle of dilute chlorine solution for at least the next 12 months. These coupons are redeemable in health facilities and other sites registered for the study.

Treatment:

Other: Coupons for safe water program: Treatment

Control Arm

Experimental group

Description:

After enrollment over a phone call, they will not be contacted.

Treatment:

Other: Coupons for safe water program: Control