scholarly journals Looking beyond Technology: An Integrated Approach to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Low Income Countries

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (17) ◽  
pp. 9965-9970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Tilley ◽  
Linda Strande ◽  
Christoph Lüthi ◽  
Hans-Joachim Mosler ◽  
Kai M. Udert ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 191 ◽  
pp. 116793
Author(s):  
Oscar Omondi Donde ◽  
Evans Atoni ◽  
Anastasia Wairimu Muia ◽  
Paul T. Yillia

Author(s):  
Celia McMichael

Many schools in low-income countries have inadequate access to water facilities, sanitation and hygiene promotion. A systematic review of literature was carried out that aimed to identify and analyse the impact of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions (WASH) in schools in low-income countries. Published peer reviewed literature was systematically screened during March to June 2018 using the databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. There were no publication date restrictions. Thirty-eight peer reviewed papers were identified that met the inclusion criteria. The papers were analysed in groups, based on four categories of reported outcomes: (i) reduction of diarrhoeal disease and other hygiene-related diseases in school students; (ii) improved WASH knowledge, attitudes and hygiene behaviours among students; (iii) reduced disease burden and improved hygiene behaviours in students’ households and communities; (iv) improved student enrolment and attendance. The typically unmeasured and unreported ‘output’ and/or ‘exposure’ of program fidelity and adherence was also examined. Several studies provide evidence of positive disease-related outcomes among students, yet other assessments did not find statistically significant differences in health or indicated that outcomes are dependent on the nature and context of interventions. Thirteen studies provide evidence of changes in WASH knowledge, attitudes and behaviours, such as hand-washing with soap. Further research is required to understand whether and how school-based WASH interventions might improve hygiene habits and health among wider family and community members. Evidence of the impact of school-based WASH programs in reducing student absence from school was mixed. Ensuring access to safe and sufficient water and sanitation and hygiene promotion in schools has great potential to improve health and education and to contribute to inclusion and equity, yet delivering school-based WASH intervention does not guarantee good outcomes. While further rigorous research will be of value, political will and effective interventions with high program fidelity are also key.


2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (6a) ◽  
pp. 760-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
HH Vorster ◽  
BM Margetts ◽  
CS Venter ◽  
MP Wissing

AbstractObjectiveTo describe an integrated, holistic conceptual framework and research paradigm for a better understanding of the nutrition transition in middle- and low-income countries.MotivationCurrent inability effectively to prevent the increasing burden related to changes in food consumption patterns and other health behaviours of populations in transition motivates a new approach for nutrition research and practice. In this proposed approach, broader and integrated dimensions of science and practice may be applied for a better understanding of this complex phenomenon.ResultExamples from our own studies are given and quoted to illustrate how results from transdisciplinary studies were used to design an integrated, holistic programme to improve quality of life of people infected with HIV.ConclusionBased on these experiences it is argued that the more holistic and integrated approach should and could lead to more effective and sustainable interventions to prevent the adverse health consequences of the nutrition transition. At the same time such an approach will contribute to efforts to conserve the environment and also human, living and natural resources.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 612-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Connolly ◽  
Marni Sommer

Inadequate school water and sanitation facilities in many low-income countries, including Cambodia, are problematic for pubescent girls as they reach menarche and must subsequently manage monthly menses while attending school. This comparative case study explored girls' own suggestions for improving the pubertal guidance they receive in the classroom, and for modifications of existing school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in order to better meet schoolgirls' menstrual hygiene management needs. Key findings included girls' recommendations for teaching methodologies that encourage questions and practical content regarding puberty and menstrual management before the onset of menarche, and WASH-specific recommendations for the increased availability of water and sanitary materials in toilet stalls and greater privacy from boys and other girls. Incorporating girls' recommendations into WASH, health and education related policy and programming in low-income countries would allow girls to comfortably and confidently manage menses within the school environment.


Water Policy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tula M. Ngasala ◽  
Susan J. Masten ◽  
Stephen P. Gasteyer

Abstract There is an urgent need to address the challenges of inadequate safe water and proper sanitation in peri-urban communities in low-income countries. Agencies have tended to focus on a single aspect of the challenge for service delivery, which ultimately fails to capture the full scope of the problem. In this study, 63 household surveys and 15 key informant interviews were conducted in a peri-urban area of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, regarding water and sanitation issues. Results revealed that 87% of households experience water scarcity issues. More than 50% of the homes were surrounded by swampy areas with sewage and stagnant pools, with 40% reporting water source contamination due to seepage and overflowing of sewage collection systems. Key informants reported water scarcity and poor water quality due to poor sanitation practices and a compromised water supply network. We found that a highly integrated approach that invests in cultural, social, political, human, financial, and built community capitals is needed to address these challenges. To accomplish this, the community must feel empowered and believe that they have control over their situation in ways that will effectively protect their health.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Y. H. Aw ◽  
Naomi E. Clarke ◽  
James S. McCarthy ◽  
Rebecca J. Traub ◽  
Salvador Amaral ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Giardiasis is a common diarrhoeal disease caused by the protozoan Giardia duodenalis. It is prevalent in low-income countries in the context of inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and is frequently co-endemic with neglected tropical diseases such as soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. Large-scale periodic deworming programmes are often implemented in these settings; however, there is limited evidence for the impact of regular anthelminthic treatment on G. duodenalis infection. Additionally, few studies have examined the impact of WASH interventions on G. duodenalis. Methods The WASH for WORMS cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in remote communities in Manufahi municipality, Timor-Leste, between 2012 and 2016. All study communities received four rounds of deworming with albendazole at six-monthly intervals. Half were randomised to additionally receive a community-level WASH intervention following study baseline. We measured G. duodenalis infection in study participants every six months for two years, immediately prior to deworming, as a pre-specified secondary outcome of the trial. WASH access and behaviours were measured using questionnaires. Results There was no significant change in G. duodenalis prevalence in either study arm between baseline and the final study follow-up. We found no additional benefit of the community-level WASH intervention on G. duodenalis infection (relative risk: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.72–1.54). Risk factors for G. duodenalis infection included living in a household with a child under five years of age (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.04–1.75), living in a household with more than six people (aOR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.02–1.72), and sampling during the rainy season (aOR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.04–1.45). Individuals infected with the hookworm Necator americanus were less likely to have G. duodenalis infection (aOR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.57–0.88). Conclusions Prevalence of G. duodenalis was not affected by a community WASH intervention or by two years of regular deworming with albendazole. Direct household contacts appear to play a dominant role in driving transmission. We found evidence of antagonistic effects between G. duodenalis and hookworm infection, which warrants further investigation in the context of global deworming efforts. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12614000680662. Registered 27 June 2014, retrospectively registered. https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=366540.


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