Study indicates PUR reduces risk of water-borne illness in kids

Household water treatment with PUR water purifier, developed by Procter & Gamble Co,. significantly lowers diarrhea in children, according to a study reported in the online issue of the British Medical Journal.

The trial, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the first study of household water treatment to show a significant reduction in mortality.

“Worldwide, many people drink contaminated water,” said John Crump, first author on the study and CDC medical epidemiologist. “Our study shows that among people who have highly contaminated and dirty drinking water, PUR can provide water that looks cleaner and reduces the risk of diarrhea, particularly among infants and children.”

The study was a 20-week randomized, controlled health intervention trial conducted with 6,650 people living in rural western Kenya, near Lake Victoria, where families collect drinking water from shallow ponds and streams.