Point of Use Water Treatment in Emergency Settings. POU water treatment and safe storage is often used in emergency settings and disaster response. Emergency distribution of POU water treatment in emergency settings had high initial uptake in the distribution of the SWS in Madagascar following an outbreak of cholera and three cyclones (Xxxxxxx et al., 2001) and in the distribution of PUR flocculant-disinfectant following the tropical xxxxx Xxxxxx in Haiti (Colindres, Jain, Bowen, Mintz, & Xxxxxx, 2007). (Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, 2012) argue that high initial uptake is important, it is not a true measure of successful distribution of HWT in emergency settings because it does not address the efficacy of the intervention. They make the argument for using the outcome of “effective use”, a measure that not only considers uptake of POU water treatment but also whether the water treatment technology was appropriate and given to people who were actually at risk. Using this “effective use” criteria, (Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, 2012) determined the distribution of Aquatabs and promotion of boiling following the earthquakes in Haiti and Indonesia to be successful(Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, 2012). By comparing emergency water treatment responses in Haiti and Indonesia with less successful responses to cholera outbreaks Kenya and Nepal, (Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, 2012) were able to identify the following factors that contribute to high effective use in emergency settings: (1)specifically targeting households with contaminated water supplies, (2)providing a POU water treatment option that effectively reduces microbial pathogens, (3)providing it to a population that is already familiar with the product and (4)providing adequate training on correct product use.
