A large-scale multi-disciplinary campaign which aimed atrnimproving the agricultural, educational and health conditions ofrnthe general population of Sellale awraja was conducted in J'flL'.y 1981 ,rnduri ng which , IVfuketuri , the present study ~-xeR9 ,.,as alleged tornhave achieved the maximum results by provi dine; jli t latrine facilityrnto sa.ch and every household residing i n the to'ND .rnAn evaluative study on the imrc.ct of proper hum[].n '"Rsterndisposal on the real th status of children belm, 5 years of agernwas conducted from July 14 - 21, 1986, which is five yearsrn"fter the mass introduction of "it latrines as an interventionrninto Hu.1(eturi t mÂ·n1. Assessment -:as also made on how residents ofrnthe tOlffi have former! the habi t of using the f",cili ty after it ""8rnmade available for them.rnBecause of lack of basE line dat:l, a similar communityrnunaffected by the 1981 car.Jpo.ign, but cOClp"rable in respect tornpertinent socio- demogr arhic characterstics, "'as chosen c.s arncontrol .rnIntestinal pexasitism, diexrheal illnesses, o.nthropometricrnmeasurements, infant and child rteaths werG chosen to me~sure healthrnimprovements that mi,;ht have resul tect from the interver:tion.rnviirnWeie;ht anj hei~ht, mea.surin[ scq12s Â£',nri stool examinr:.tion werernthe instruments used, for tbe ohserv"til'nal '~ata coll ection >!hilerna pre- tested am] pr8- strl1ctured qU8stionnaire ,ras employed f orrnintcrvi e>!ing head of house holds ".lld/or mothers .rnAnalysis of data collecteil from " total of 19G subjects andrn85 controls living in 132 & 65 f'lmilies resrectively, h2.S sho>!nrnthat pit - l a trine facility avaibbility ,;as 81. S ~~ for thernstudy group ;mel 42 . 1, ~b for the C'ontrols . In the attempt torndetermi ne the people's motive to h'LVe a latrine f Ctcil ity, it >!asrnfound that morE. t'l2.ll 60 5~ of f","ilics in Nuketuri re;oorted thp;t thernf aciE ties >!ere imposed by the ICebele , "hile s81f- ini' i a tion .1ndrnadvice from helll th wor: