WHAT HUMANITARIAN NEED IS BEING ADDRESSED?

Sekota Woreda, Waghimra zone in Amhara region – Ethiopia, Waghimra, is affected by drought and conflict leading to crop losses, food insecurity, diarrheal disease, and high rates of malnutrition. Hundreds of motorized pumping systems in the region are out of order due to lack of fuel, damage, or looting. The situation is particularly dire in sites for internally displaced people.

In Kenya, the drought continues to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. According to a June 2022 survey, 64.4% of West-Pokot’s population fetches water from unprotected sources, with only 10% treating their drinking water before consumption, exposing them to the risks of water-borne diseases.

In both countries, rapid bacteriological testing is crucial.

WHAT IS THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTION BEING ADOPTED AND HOW WILL IT IMPROVE EXISTING HUMANITARIAN PRACTICE?

Bacteriological testing is crucial to understand the risk of exposure to contaminated sources, plan for corrective measures, and involve local communities in water point maintenance.

1. WaterScope is an innovative solution with specific advantages over other kits:
   Easy sample collection and preparation using the disposable cartridge and automatic colony counting, enabling any user with minimal training to conduct water testing;
2. Automatic uploading of data to the cloud allows for remote monitoring and steering of corrective actions;
3. Same-day semi-quantitative results allow for a rapid response if needed; (d) cost is significantly lower.

This test kit has the potential to enable anyone to conduct a test in any location, independent of resource availability.

WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT? 

By field testing WaterScope, this project aims to gather data on:

• The ease of adoption of WaterScope by field staff and local partners.
• The cost-effectiveness of WaterScope in comparison to locally available testing options.
• The impact of increased frequency of water quality testing on decision-making for ensuring safe water consumption.
• If WaterScope outperforms standard methods and achieves a minimum usability score of 80%, it will be adopted by Action Against Hunger and its partners.