Does Access to Public Drinking Water Services Positively Impact Health in Cameroon?

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of household access to the drinking water distribution network on the state of health of populations in Cameroon. Considering child health (diarrheal morbidity and underweight) and based on data from the Cameroonian Household Survey (ECAM4) of 2014 and the Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey (EDSC-V) of 2018 and adopting probity models with instrumental variable in a dichotomous approach, we obtain the following results. Access to public drinking water services contributes significantly to improving the well-being of populations in Cameroon, significantly reducing the risk of diarrhea and exposure to underweight children. Also, the public authorities will have to develop water production and distribution infrastructures to promote greater access for the population and allow an improvement in the water quality and quantity.