WASH Practices: situational and behavioral analyses to inform policy and practice

Access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is critical in the prevention of neglected tropical diseases including trachoma, soil-transmitted helminths, and schistosomiasis. These diseases affect more than 1.5 billion people, with a significant proportion being in sub-Sahara Africa. The diseases may cause blindness, disfigurement, permanent disability or death. Apart from poor provision of adequate WASH facilities, existing toilets and boreholes are underutilised to prevent/reduce contamination of environment and domestic water sources. There is paucity of studies on social, cultural and behavioral aspects that constrain toilet/borehole adoption/use in rural Africa. This project involves a knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviors comparative study in South Africa and Zimbabwe to identify a) factors leading people to prioritise/not prioritise latrine and borehole construction and b) causes and determinants of non-use of toilets and boreholes. These factors/causes will be related to the spatial distribution of latrines/boreholes to inform stakeholders on engagement strategies for WASH uptake/adoption.