Background: Access to clean water is a major health issue for many living in rural Honduras. In June 2008, clay water filters were distributed to individual homes in La Hicaca, a rural mountain community in the Yoro area of Honduras. In June 2009, a needs assessment survey was administered to residents in this area. Methods: In June 2009, a needs assessment survey was administered in La Hicaca and other communities in the Yoro area that collected data on demographics, water source and principle health concerns. One question asked, “What are the three biggest health care problems that you worry about? (Check all that apply)” There were 15 options in the areas of water sanitation, nutrition, education, maternal/child health, access to doctors and medicine and specific disease concerns. Survey respondents in La Hicaca who used clay water filters and all other respondents were compared regarding their principle health concerns. Respondents were excluded if they filtered their water but did not live in La Hicaca or if they did not respond to the question regarding health concerns. Results: Of 101 completed surveys, 12 survey respondents from La Hicaca used clay water filters and 70 respondents from the Yoro area did not. For the respondents who did not use filtered water, water sanitation (48.6%) and nutrition (42.9%) were the principle health concerns. For the La Hicaca residents who utilized water filters, access to healthcare in terms of distance (41.7%) and overall cost of healthcare (50%) were the principle concerns. Conclusion: When comparing the primary health concerns of rural Hondurans in La Hicaca who utilize clay water filters to those who use a different water purification method, the principle health concerns differ. Water sanitation and nutrition were the principle concerns for those who do not use filtered water, and access to healthcare in terms of distance and cost were the concerns for those respondents who utilize water filters. As far as perceived health concerns are an indicator, the distribution of clay water filters in one rural Honduran community may have had a positive health impact. Abstracts for SupplementInternational Journal of Infectious DiseasesVol. 14Preview Full-Text PDF Open Archive

In this paper, we examine the potential for developing a stronger connection between the two significant discourses of sustainable development and nationalism. While there has been limited academic enquiry into the relationships that might exist between these two discourses, we draw on the case study of Wales since 1999 to show how policy-makers are increasingly examining the potential for promoting a more fruitful dialogue between them. We examine how nationalist discourses in Wales have led to the development of a form of sustainable development that is allegedly more attuned to Welsh national values and identities. We also show how sustainable development is being used to imagine new and possibly more inclusive kinds of futures for the Welsh nation. We conclude by reaffirming the fruitful synergies that might exist between sustainable development and nationalism while acknowledging the tensions that arise in seeking to make connections between them.