Pakistan Flocculent Health Outcome Study

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Diarrhea

Treatments: Other: water treatment with sodium hypochlorite; Other: flocculent-disinfectant for water treatment; Other: handwashing

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency; Industry

Identifiers

NCT01538953

CDC3794

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is designed to evaluate the effect of different methods of drinking water treatment on the occurrence of diarrhea among children living in squatter settlements in Karachi, Pakistan, and the marginal benefit of adding handwashing to water treatment. 260 households will receive a new product which combines flocculation with chlorination to produce clearer, less chemically contaminated drinking water. 260 households will receive dilute sodium hypochlorite, i.e. bleach to treat their water. 260 households will receive soap and encouraged to wash their hands regularly. 260 households will receive both soap and the combination flocculation/chlorination water treatment. 260 households will continue their standard water treatment and handwashing practices. The households will be visited each week for 9 months, and the episodes of diarrhea from each child in the household recorded. The rate of diarrhea between the groups will be compared. At the end of 9 months, households who were part of the standard habits and practice group will receive a water storage vessel and disinfectant.

Enrollment: 8,949 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• households in study neighborhoods
• contain a child < 5 years old
• have access to water for handwashing

Exclusion criteria

• participated in handwashing or drinking water treatment programs with HOPE previously

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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8,949 participants in 5 patient groups

Handwashing

Experimental group

Description:

participants received weekly, in-home handwashing promotion and soap as needed

Treatment:

Other: handwashing

handwashing and water treatment

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: handwashing

Other: flocculent-disinfectant for water treatment

Water treatment with sodium hypochlorite

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: water treatment with sodium hypochlorite

Water treatment with flocculent-disinfectant

Experimental group

Description:

participants received a supply of flocculent-disinfectant product and instruction to use it to treat drinking water

Treatment:

Other: flocculent-disinfectant for water treatment

Control

No Intervention group