The collaborative process also improved measurement
of actual local environmental health conditions.
Because environmental health data for periurban areas
rarely are disaggregated from urban data,impr ovements
in health and environmental conditions are difficult to
monitor effectively in periurban areas,where circumstances
are usually worse than the prescribed urban area
(Moore et al.,2003 ). As part of the MUSA consortium,
CDC scientists provided technical assistance to DISA
and DESA technicians and the CIIMSA members to
assess environmental concerns on the basis of community
perceptions. Ongoing assessment activities yielded
the information needed to build locally appropriate
indicators that communicate the condition of the water
supply systems (strategic objective 5 of the CIIMSA).