Introduction:

Re-emergence and control of some waterborne diseases are still an interest for sanitary governments.

Objective:

To develop intersectoral actions addressed to the improvement of the environmental situation, the basic sanitation and water quality.

Methods:

It was developed a participative research-action, with mixed approach. It was formed a multidisciplinary team made up by health professionals, members of the community and the Decentralized Autonomous Government of Penipe, Cimborazo, Ecuador. The population was formed by 2089 inhabitants living permanently in the urban area of the cantonal administrative center in the period from September 2016 to September 2017. The sample (494 people) was selected by non-probabilistic sampling, and it was made up by individuals in the ages from 15 to 60 years, mentally fit and that at the moment of the instrument’s implementation were at their house. These people gave their informed consent for participating and declared to live permanently in that area. For data collection, it was used the questionnaire designed and validated by specialists criterion.

Results:

Females in the ages from 21 to 30 years and the ethnic auto-identification as mixed race predominated. Consumption of boiled water and its chlorination were the most common practices referred by those polled, which is insufficient to avoid transmissibility of waterborne diseases.

Conclusions:

The presence of water transmission diseases in cantón Penipe, in Ecuador is an unsolved local public health problem which justifies an intersectoral intervention that allows an inclusive, renewed and community focused health education.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )