CHENNAI : A U.S.-based voluntary organisation plans to launch a programme to encourage point-of-use water disinfection in poor households in Chennai.

Academy for Educational Development (AED) is likely to bring the POUZN (Point of Use Zinc Treatment) project to the city if it is approved by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

AED's Country Director Deepak Saksena told The Hindu that POUZN has two components: Promoting water disinfection at the point of use and using zinc tablets and syrups to control diarrhoeal disease.

POUZN is a USAID initiative implemented by the AED's centre for private sector health initiatives. It combats diarrhoeal disease by engaging firms to manufacture, market and distribute zinc supplements and point-of-use water treatment devices. While zinc use would be promoted at a national level, AED is looking at Chennai and Lucknow to demonstrate the point-of-use treatment project.

"We will encourage microfinancing institutions to give loans to the poor to buy water treatment devices. Loans are available for income-generating equipment but if health is affected, so is income," Mr. Saksena said. He said that most middle-class households owned water treatment appliances but the poor were unable to afford them.

AED will encourage the use of treatment appliances that do not require running water or electricity. Loans will be arranged for the product cost, ranging from Rs. 1,600 to Rs. 2,000. Chennai was chosen for the pilot project because of the presence of several self-help groups, who could avail loans from microfinance institutions.

AED will train SHGs in the control of diarrhoeal diseases and network with producers of water treatment devices to ensure quality and affordability. The project is set to begin in 2007 and is scheduled to run for two years.

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