Environnement, Risques & Santé
MENUMayotte – installing ePPS in unsanitary living areas: strategy and assessment Volume 15, issue 5, September-October 2016
- Key words: water supply, Mayotte, urban health
- DOI : 10.1684/ers.2016.0916
- Page(s) : 426-33
- Published in: 2016
The construction of water supply systems in Mayotte, the newest of all French districts, began some 40 years ago. In the early 2000s, only 80% of the population had access to water and sanitation was very poor. Both these facts help to explain the occurrence of cholera in the wake of the 2000 regional outbreak. In response, alongside a vaccination campaign, local health authorities launched a program for access to water through electronic prepaid public standpipes (ePPS). With the increase in precarious neighborhoods that do not qualify for private water meters and the prevalence of waterborne diseases, in 2010, health authorities relaunched an ambitious program to help disadvantaged people by installing more ePPS. In addition, communities and associations are sharing the burden by identifying needs and supporting health promotion campaigns. These measures are new in the country and their impact on health remains to be assessed.