Fecal contamination of drinking-water in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Access to safe drinking-water is a fundamental requirement for good health and is also a human right. Global access to safe drinking-water is monitored by WHO and UNICEF using as an indicator "use of an improved source," which does not account for water quality measurements. Our objectives were to determine whether water from "improved" sources is less likely to contain fecal contamination than "unimproved" sources and to assess the extent to which contamination varies by source type and setting.

Methods and findings

Studies in Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish were identified from online databases, including PubMed and Web of Science, and grey literature. Studies in low- and middle-income countries published between 1990 and August 2013 that asses

SUBMITTER: Bain R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4011876 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature