Project Partners

• PSI
• WHO
• Municipal Corporation of Delhi
• Sulabh International Institute of Health & Hygiene (SIIHH)
• CDC
  

Target population/location

• Parents with children under five years
• Low income urban and rural areas

Project design

• Pilot in twelve Delhi urban slums (population 150,000 est.)
• 
  Social marketing launch statewide in Orissa (population 36.7 million)
• 
  Subsequent launch nationally (population 1.02 billion)

Intervention elements

• Sodium hypochlorite disinfectant produced locally by private sector manufacturer for PSI. The brand name is SAFEWAT.
• Locally manufactured 20-liter HDPE vessels (CDC design) for water storage, also with the brand name SAFEWAT.
• 
  Social marketing of SAFEWAT with full cost recovery through 1500 trained change agents (Delhi) and trade (all-India); change agents will earn a margin on each unit sale of disinfectant and vessel.
• 
  Generic and branded water safety and hygiene communications via inter-personal communication (Delhi), mass media (Orissa), and trade.
• Monthly monitoring of water quality at 7 water sources and 24 indicator households (Delhi).

Key Practices

• Consumption of safe water, in a consistent and exclusive manner, by all family members, by regularly using the safe water system to treat water and store it safely
• 
  Adoption of hygienic practices that impact on water and food safety, in particular:
  • Hand washing
  • Clean food preparation
  • Clean toilet habits, including sanitary disposal of feces
  • Proper garbage disposal
• 
  Continuation of healthy practices known to play a protective/beneficial role:
  • exclusive breastfeeding
  • vaccination
  • oral rehydration therapy
  • increased feeding for up to two weeks following a diarrheal episode

Project implementation start date

• July 2001

Current status of project

• Pilot: Formative qualitative research and a baseline KAP survey have been completed. Communications, product and logistics elements have been developed, produced, and put in place for training of 1500 change agents in the pilot area on inter-personal communication and door-to-door sales. PSI began to place Safewat disinfectant and vessel in retail outlets in the pilot area from June 10, 2002.
• 
  Social marketing in Orissa: Following qualitative formative research and product development, SAFEWAT disinfectant and vessels are currently being social marketed throughout Orissa (start date May 31, 2002).

For more information

• thompsont@whosea.org
• 
  kjafa@psi.org.in
• 
  safewater@cdc.gov

1600 Clifton Road, MS-A38
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: +1(404) 639-0231
Email: safewater@cdc.gov