Occurrence of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases in cities of developing countries
has been on the increase over the decades largely due to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and
poor hygiene among human population. This study examined the relationship between the spatial
pattern of water-borne diseases vis-a- vis water quality in parts of Ibadan City in Nigeria. Data on
1,334 cases of various water-borne diseases was collected from eight public hospitals with catchments
covering the study area. Three areas with relatively high incidence of water-borne diseases and
another three areas with relatively low incidence were selected for water sampling and household
survey. Water samples from rains, wells, and borehole were collected for physical and bacteriological
analyses. A well structured questionnaire was administered to 350 residents of the selected areas to
elicit information on water sourcing, handling and storage. Analysis of hospital records showed
significant difference in the occurrence of water-borne diseases among residential areas (P<0.05).
Typhoid fever had the highest occurrence (39.3%) followed by bacillary dysentery and cholera.
About 45% of water-borne diseases were reported in July to September. The majority (77.1%) of the
respondents depended on wells as major source of domestic water. Faecal coliform contamination of
water samples ranged between 0.1 x 10
4 and 1.8 x 10
4 CFUml
-1. Furthermore, 18% of rain water and
23.6% of well water samples were positive to
Vibrio cholerae
,
Salmonella typhi
and
Shigella dysenteriae
.
Potash alum
application for domestic water treatment accounted for 68.6% explanation of waterborne
diseases morbidity pattern in the study area (
P<0.05). Provision of adequate potable water
remains the most important tool for preventing water-borne diseases in the study area.
