Refugee perceptions of the quality of healthcare: findings from a participatory assessment in Ngara, Tanzania

This article describes the findings of a participatory assessment of Burundian and Rwandan refugees' perceptions of the quality of health services in camps in Ngara, Tanzania. Taking a beneficiary-centred approach, it examines a collaborative effort by several agencies to develop a generic field guide to analyse refugees' views of healthcare services. The objective was to gather information that would contribute to significant improvements in the care offered in the camps. Although the primary focus was on healthcare, several broader questions considered other general apprehensions that might influence the way refugees perceive their healthcare. Findings indicated that while refugees in Ngara were generally satisfied with the quality of healthcare provided and healthcare promotion activities, recognition of some key refugee concerns would assist healthcare providers in enhancing services. With increasing need for refugee community participation in evaluating humanitarian assistance, this assessment has relevance both in the context of Ngara and beyond.     

The analysis of free chlorine in the presence of nitrogenous organic compounds

Comparative analyses for aqueous chlorine using Standard Methods indicated that in chlorinated solutions containing nitrogenous organic compounds, none of these methods gave a reliable measurement of free available chlorine. Examination of the cyanuric acid-aqueous chlorine system showed that combined chlorine reacted as if it were free chlorine in all the Standard Methods. The implication of these studies for water and wastewater chlorination is that in waters containing nitrogenous organic compounds, N-Chloro compounds form which may result in an overestimation of the disinfecting potential of the added chlorine, when free chlorine is measured by Standard Methods.