Healthy Schools: Reducing dengue and diarrheal diseases in primary schools in Colombia

A scientific, educational collaborative platform between Norway and Colombia was developed to promote innovative scientific research, capacity building, and student exchange on water, environment, sanitation, epidemiology, and health. Focus was on exploring ways to integrate control of water-related diseases in rural schools, particularly diarrheal diseases and dengue fever, which are major global health problems. Water storage can be a determinant of both diseases if drinking water is contaminated and storage containers provide breeding sites for dengue mosquitoes. We carried out a factorial randomized controlled trial using integrated water management and mosquito control interventions in rural primary schools in two municipalities in Colombia. Schools were randomized to one of four study arms: interventions related to diarrhea (DIA), dengue (DEN), both diarrhea and dengue (DIADEN), and control (no intervention). Interventions included both physical and educational components. The objective was to investigate whether the interventions would significantly reduce illness-related school absenteeism and dengue entomological risk factors; as well as improve drinking water quality, hygiene practices, and students?, teachers?, and parents? knowledge of these diseases. Preliminary results suggest that interventions did not reduce illness-related school absence. Larval breeding was reduced in DEN and DIADEN schools, but the presence of adult mosquitoes was not affected. Drinking water quality was improved in the DIA schools, which also had cleaner toilets than other schools. The educational interventions improved children?s knowledge of these diseases and even the parents benefitted from their children?s education. This is the first trial of its kind and many schools in the area have adopted some of the interventions. The results of this project is of significance in informing policy makers and stakeholders for the UN post-2015 development agenda.

This initiative aims to develop a scientific and educational collaborative platform between the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) and the Universidad El Bosque (UED) in Colombia to promote innovative scientific research, capacity building, and s tudent exchange on water, environment, sanitation, disease epidemiology, and health. The current project forms a first initiative to support the collaborative platform between the parties. Diarrheal diseases and dengue fever are major global health proble ms resulting in millions of deaths every year. Billions of people live in risk areas. In Latin America both diseases are prevalent and infection rates are high. Where provision of clean water is inadequate, water storage is crucial. Fecal contamination of stored water is a common source of diarrheal illness. Stored water is also a potential breeding site for dengue vector mosquitoes. Little is known of the role of stored water for the dual risk of diarrhea and dengue. Casa Segura or Safe House is a proact ive vector control approach using low cost interventions to prevent dengue transmission in the home environment. Here we use the Casa Segura concept to include interventions related to diarrheal diseases adapted for school settings; we call it Escuela Sal udable or Healthy School. We will carry out randomized controlled trials using integrated water management and dengue vector control interventions in schools to assess disease outcome, water quality, mosquito vector density, and potential changes in peopl e?s knowledge, attitudes and practices. The anticipated results will protect the health of school children in Colombia by reducing the prevalence of diarrheal diseases and dengue fever. The project will also reveal functional interrelationships between th e two diseases, by identifying water management practices and key vector producing container types.