Assessment of Water Quality among Handwashing and Drinking Water Stations in Schools in Belize, 2022

Water quality assessments are critical for ensuring timely responses to water-related concerns, particularly in low-resource areas with limited water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. In collaboration with the Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, we conducted a survey on WASH infrastructure and resources among 221 schools. We identified 65 schools across all six districts of Belize for water quality testing. Among these 65 schools, 83% had at least one water sample that did not meet the WHO's recommended free chlorine residual level for drinking water. Additionally, coliforms and Escherichia coli were detected in at least one drinking or handwashing water sample from 43 (66%) and 14 (22%) schools, respectively. These findings underscore the importance of routine water quality testing in schools to inform timely public health responses.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Published
2025-04-08
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.24-0125
Primary Topic
Child Nutrition and Water Access
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Assessment of Water Quality among Handwashing and Drinking Water Stations in Schools in Belize, 2022

Areadne Sosa, Russell Manzanero, Gerhaldine Morazán, Adrianna Maliga et al.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Child Nutrition and Water Access
article

Assessment of Water Quality among Handwashing and Drinking Water Stations in Schools in Belize, 2022

Areadne Sosa, Russell Manzanero, Gerhaldine Morazán, Adrianna Maliga, Christina Craig, Matthew Lozier, Alexandra L. Kossik, Kristy O. Murray, Francis Morey, Dennis Nichols, Kelsey McDavid, Anh N. Ly, Melissa Diaz-Musa, Dian Maheia, Yolanda Gongora, Uriel Sosa
article en

Abstract

Water quality assessments are critical for ensuring timely responses to water-related concerns, particularly in low-resource areas with limited water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. In collaboration with the Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, we conducted a survey on WASH infrastructure and resources among 221 schools. We identified 65 schools across all six districts of Belize for water quality testing. Among these 65 schools, 83% had at least one water sample that did not meet the WHO's recommended free chlorine residual level for drinking water. Additionally, coliforms and Escherichia coli were detected in at least one drinking or handwashing water sample from 43 (66%) and 14 (22%) schools, respectively. These findings underscore the importance of routine water quality testing in schools to inform timely public health responses.

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and HygieneVol. 112(6)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US), Baylor College of Medicine (US), University of Belize (BZ), Central America Health Sciences University (BZ), Texas Children's Hospital (US)
Emory University, Ministry of Education, India, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Clean water and sanitation
Openalex Percentile: Top 92%
Child Nutrition and Water Access
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.