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Abstract
This study analyses the determinants of household avoidance behavior to cope with
unsafe drinking water in Cameroon. The study is based on primary data collected in 2013 from a
sample of 789 households in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé. The econometric approach used
in the study is the same as McConnell and Rosado (2000). The main findings of the estimated
model are the following: the decision to adjust water quality decreases when income decreases,
when there is no child under five in the household, and when the quality of the water consumed
is not a concern. Also, the probability of adopting a given avoidance measure decreases with its
cost of adoption and increases with its efficiency (measured by people’s favourable opinion on
the quality of water after adjustment). Implications for public policies are discussed in the paper.