Infections in children under 5 years old and latrine cleanliness

The aim of this study is to assess the cleanliness of the latrine and its r elation to occurrence of disease in children under 5 years old. A stratifie d random sample of 1327 households was conducted in 11 villages in Upper Eg ypt. It included a sub-sample of 541 children under 5 years living in house holds with latrines. The latrine cleanliness was assessed and its relations hip to disease occurrence within a period of 2 weeks. Thirty-three percent (33.1%) of children under 5 years old with latrines in their household had infections, compared to 28.3% of those without latrines in the house. Infec tion with diarrhoea was found most in houses with latrine and water tap. A relation was found between latrine cleanliness score and presence of flies, house building material and maternal education, but none with occurrence o f infection in children under 5 years old within a period of 2 weeks.