Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions to Improve Health among People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Systematic Review

• Source:

• Peletz R (2013) Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions to Improve Health among People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Systematic Review. AIDS 27(16): 2593-2601.

• URL:

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24100712

• Summary:

• People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) are at increased risk of diarrheal disease and enteric infection. This review assesses the effectiveness of WASH interventions to prevent disease among PLHIV. Ten studies met the eligibility criteria and are included in the review, of which nine involved water quality interventions and one involved promotion of hand washing. Among eight studies that reported on diarrhea, water quality interventions and the hand washing intervention were protective against diarrhea. One study reported that household water treatment combined with insecticide treated bednets slowed the progression of HIV and AIDS. The validity of most studies is potentially compromised by methodological shortcomings. No studies assessed the impact of improved water supply or sanitation, the most fundamental of WASH interventions. Despite some evidence that water quality interventions and hand washing are protective against diarrhea, substantial heterogeneity and the potential for bias raise questions about the actual level of protection.