POUZN to Support Scale up of Point-of-use Water Treatment Program in Malawi

In collaboration with its principal implementing partner, Population Services International (PSI), Abt’s POUZN program is supporting the expansion of PSI’s point-of-use (POU) water treatment product, WaterGuard, a product that has played a key role since 2002 in support of Government of Malawi activities to reduce diarrheal disease. The program will also support the expanded distribution and marketing of the WaterGuard ‘line’ product WaterGuard wa Ufa, manufactured by the Procter & Gamble Corporation and distributed elsewhere under the brand name ‘PuR’ which both disinfects and clears turbid water of all solid materials.

With less than 14% of rural Malawians receiving piped water in their homes, over 70% storing their drinking water, and recontamination during storage a significant problem, the POU treatment offered by WaterGuard is one of the most effective methods of disinfection. One cap-full (3.5ml) effectively treats 10 liters of water for 24 hours. Since nearly half of Malawian households employ standard 20-liter containers, dosage is easy to understand and practice. The bottle label features simple pictorial directions appropriate for the poorly educated rural demographic which constitutes WaterGuard’s primary target.

With POUZN support, PSI is expanding distribution of these key water treatment products through the establishment of new sales points nationwide and addition of two new sales teams working with rural wholesalers, retailers, private healthcare providers, and possibly public health clinics. WaterGuard will soon be distributed on a national scale, focusing on rural settings where incidence of diarrhea is 28% higher than in urban areas, socio-economic and educational indicators are lower, and where 85% of the population resides. PSI is also exploring opportunities for establishing new channels of distribution via collaborations with organizations currently working on water, sanitation, and hygiene as part of their community development activities, mostly in rural areas of Malawi.

To support an expanded marketing effort, PSI is developing and will implement branded and generic communication campaigns using both mass media and interpersonal communication channels targeting primary caregivers, community-based health agents, and healthcare providers to motivate the purchase and consistent year round use of POU water treatment and good hygiene practices. In addition, PSI will educate and train community-based health agents, private healthcare providers, faith leaders, and PSI/M sales staff on the efficacy and proper use of POU water treatment products through extensive use of product demonstrations, which will enable them to become effective demand creation and Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) agents for POU.