Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) index for primary healthcare facilities: Towards achieving WASH security.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Odjegba EE
PROVIDER: S-EPMC11334800 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) index for primary healthcare facilities: Towards achieving WASH security.
Odjegba Enovwo E EE Bankole Abayomi O AO Sadiq Adebayo A Layi-Adigun Barakat O BO Adebimpe Abayomi M AM Kosemani Mariam O MO Ojo Emmanuel B EB Adewuyi Mustapha A MA
Heliyon 20240802 15
This study focused on designing a WASH Index for assessing the status of WASH in Primary Healthcare Facilities (PHCs) especially for low- and middle-income countries. To assess the effectiveness of the WASH Index in evaluating the WASH in PHCs, PHCs were selected from 70 Local Government Areas (LGA) across 3 Southwestern States in Nigeria. The WASH index comprises of the five Joint Monitoring Programme service ladders as outlined in the World Health Organization Global Baseline Report for monito ...[more]
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Project description:WHO and UNICEF have proposed an action plan to achieve universal water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) coverage in healthcare facilities (HCFs) by 2030. The WASH targets and indicators for HCFs include: an improved water source on the premises accessible to all users, basic sanitation facilities, a hand washing facility with soap and water at all sanitation facilities and patient care areas. To establish viable targets for WASH in HCFs, investigation beyond 'access' is needed to address the state of WASH infrastructure and service provision. Patient and caregiver use of WASH services is largely unaddressed in previous studies despite being critical for infection control.The state of WASH services used by staff, patients and caregivers was assessed in 17 rural HCFs in Rwanda. Site selection was non-random and predicated upon piped water and power supply. Direct observation and semi-structured interviews assessed drinking water treatment, presence and condition of sanitation facilities, provision of soap and water, and WASH-related maintenance and record keeping. Samples were collected from water sources and treated drinking water containers and analyzed for total coliforms, E. coli, and chlorine residual.Drinking water treatment was reported at 15 of 17 sites. Three of 18 drinking water samples collected met the WHO guideline for free chlorine residual of >0.2 mg/l, 6 of 16 drinking water samples analyzed for total coliforms met the WHO guideline of <1 coliform/100 mL and 15 of 16 drinking water samples analyzed for E. coli met the WHO guideline of <1 E. coli/100 mL. HCF staff reported treating up to 20 L of drinking water per day. At all sites, 60% of water access points (160 of 267) were observed to be functional, 32% of hand washing locations (46 of 142) had water and soap and 44% of sanitary facilities (48 of 109) were in hygienic condition and accessible to patients. Regular maintenance of WASH infrastructure consisted of cleaning; no HCF had on-site capacity for performing repairs. Quarterly evaluations of HCFs for Rwanda's Performance Based Financing system included WASH indicators.All HCFs met national policies for water access, but WHO guidelines for environmental standards including water quality were not fully satisfied. Access to WASH services at the HCFs differed between staff and patients and caregivers.
| S-EPMC5541640 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundInadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health facilities, and the low adherence to infection control protocols can increase the risk of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections (HAIs). The risk for HAIs can increase morbidity, and mortality, health care cost, but also contribute to increased microbial resistance.ObjectivesThe study aimed to assess WASH facilities and practices, and levels of nosocomial pathogens in selected health facilities in Oromia Region and Southern, Nations and Nationalities and Peoples (SNNPs) Region.Materials and methodsAn observational cross-sectional study design was employed to assess the WASH facilities in health care in SNNPs (Bulle and Doyogena) and Oromia (Bidre) regions through interviews and direct observations (n = 26 facilities). Water and surface samples were collected from major hospitals and health centers. A total of 90 surface swabs and 14 water samples were collected identified, characterized and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. Epi-info was used for data entry and the data was subsequently exported to Stata version 17 for data cleaning and analysis.ResultsWater supply, toilet facilities, and waste management procedures were suboptimal (below the minimum standards of WHO). Only 11/26 of the health facilities had access to water at the time of the survey. The lowest hand-hygiene compliance was for Bidre (4%), followed by Doyogena (14%), and Bulle (36%). Over 70% of the identified bacteria were from four categories: Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., E. coli, and Klebsiella spp. These bacteria also found in high-risk locations including neonatal intensive care units, delivery and surgical rooms. Antimicrobial susceptibility detected in ≥50% of the isolates for penicillin, cefazolin, ampicillin, oxacillin, and cotrimoxazole, and ≥ 50% of the isolates displayed multi-drug resistance.ConclusionInvesting in WASH infrastructures, promotion of handwashing practices, implementing infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and antibiotic stewardship is critical to ensure quality care in these settings. We recommend careful use of higher generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones.
| S-EPMC11647025 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionAccurate information on context and implementation of public health interventions is necessary to replicate, adapt, and scale effective interventions and to interpret evaluations. Reporting the context and implementation of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions has been inconsistent and incomplete.MethodsTo improve the reporting of WASH interventions, we developed the Template for Intervention Description and Replication for WASH (TIDieR-WASH) checklist and guide, by adapting and expanding the original TIDieR guide. We performed a scoping review of existing implementation reporting guidelines, and of current implementation reporting in WASH evaluations, to develop a list of candidate items to include in this checklist. We then used a 4-stages of review by international experts to reach consensus.ResultsThe resulting 14-item checklist comprises: a) name, b) theory of change, c) prior evidence, d) location and setting, e) context, f) suitability, g) implementers, h) recipients, i) targeting, j) activities, k) intervention dose, l) fidelity, m) costs, and n) materials. Definitions, explanations, examples, and instructions for use are reported in this article.DiscussionThe checklist can be applied to all types of evaluations of WASH interventions, including direct service provision, behavior change, and systems strengthening interventions. We deliberately developed this guidance document to be accessible and relevant to practitioners and researchers. Adoption of this checklist will support transparent reporting of WASH implementation for research and practice. As with other sectors that have used TIDieR checklists, clear implementation reporting can assist with evidence synthesis, adaptation, and policy guidance. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14780.
| S-EPMC11604158 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study provides an overview of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) research trends in Indonesia from 1975 until April 2021. The systematic review compiled 272 articles related to the Sustainable Development Goals 6.1 and 6.2 in Indonesia, which were published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The results showed that the water-related topic (41%) was discussed more often than sanitation (22%) or hygiene (13%). Furthermore, the social theme (39%) was dominantly found in all these articles, mostly finding determinants of WASH-related behavior. However, few WASH implementation studies or behavioral change interventions were recorded in Indonesia, suggesting a gap between science and policy or implementation. On the other hand, hygiene-related topics (14%) and WASH-related financial themes (6%) were the least studied in Indonesia. Combinations of topics (23%) and themes (15%) were also often conducted in Indonesia, suggesting that WASH researchers started to recognize the need to analyze WASH problems holistically, i.e., from multiple perspectives. In addition, the distribution of WASH research was still dominated in the central part of Indonesia, whereas the WASH-related problems, i.e., poor WASH services, and behavior, often occur in this area. This study also offers some research gaps, both in terms of topics, themes, and regional distribution, that need to be considered for the design of future WASH research in Indonesia.
| S-EPMC8835571 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAccess to water and sanitation is a basic human right; however, in many parts of the world, communities experience water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) insecurity. While WaSH insecurity is prevalent in many low and middle-income countries, it is also a problem in high-income countries, like the United States, as is evident in vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness. Limited knowledge exists about the coping strategies unhoused people use to access WaSH services. This study, therefore, examines WaSH access among unhoused communities in Los Angeles, California, a city with the second-highest count of unhoused people across the nation.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using a snowball sampling technique with 263 unhoused people living in Skid Row, Los Angeles. We calculated frequencies and used multivariable models to describe (1) how unhoused communities cope and gain access to WaSH services in different places, and (2) what individual-level factors contribute to unhoused people's ability to access WaSH services.ResultsOur findings reveal that access to WaSH services for unhoused communities in Los Angeles is most difficult at night. Reduced access to overnight sanitation resulted in 19% of the sample population using buckets inside their tents and 28% openly defecating in public spaces. Bottled water and public taps are the primary drinking water source, but 6% of the sample reported obtaining water from fire hydrants, and 50% of the population stores water for night use. Unhoused people also had limited access to water and soap for hand hygiene throughout the day, with 17% of the sample relying on hand sanitizer to clean their hands. Shower and laundry access were among the most limited services available, and reduced people's ability to maintain body hygiene practices and limited employment opportunities. Our regression models suggest that WaSH access is not homogenous among the unhoused. Community differences exist; the odds of having difficulty accessing sanitation services is two times greater for those living outside of Skid Row (Adj OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.08-6.37) and three times greater for people who have been unhoused for more than six years compared to people who have been unhoused for less than a year (Adj OR: 3.26; 95% CI: 1.36-8.07).ConclusionOverall, this study suggests a need for more permanent, 24-h access to WaSH services for unhoused communities living in Skid Row, including toilets, drinking water, water and soap for hand hygiene, showers, and laundry services.
| S-EPMC10233557 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHelminthiases are a group of disabling neglected tropical diseases that affect billions of people worldwide. Current control methods use preventative chemotherapy but reinfection is common and an inter-sectoral approach is required if elimination is to be achieved. Household and community scale water treatment can be used to provide a safe alternative water supply for contact activities, reducing exposure to WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) -related helminths. With the introduction of ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-C LEDs), ultraviolet (UV) disinfection could be a realistic option for water treatment in low-income regions in the near future, to provide safe alternative water supplies for drinking and contact activities such as handwashing, bathing, and laundry, but currently there is no guidance for the use of UV or solar disinfection against helminths.MethodologyA qualitative systematic review of existing literature was carried out to establish which WASH-related helminths are more susceptible to UV disinfection and identify gaps in research to inform future studies. The search included all species that can infect humans and can be transmitted through water or wastewater. Five online databases were searched and results were categorized based on the UV source: sunlight and solar simulators, UV-A and UV-B (long wavelength) sources, and UV-C (germicidal) sources.ConclusionsThere has been very little research into the UV sensitivity of helminths; only 47 studies were included in this review and the majority were carried out before the standard protocol for UV disinfection experiments was published. Only 18 species were studied; however all species could be inactivated by UV light. Fluences required to achieve a 1-log inactivation ranged from 5 mJ/cm2 to over 800 mJ/cm2. Larval forms were generally more sensitive to UV light than species which remain as an egg in the environment. This review confirms that further research is required to produce detailed recommendations for household or community scale UV-C LED or solar disinfection (SODIS) of water for preventing helminthiases.
| S-EPMC6772140 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The availability of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services is a key prerequisite for quality care and infection prevention and control in health care facilities (HCFs). In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance and urgency of enhancing WASH coverage to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and other healthcare-associated infections. As a part of COVID-19 preparedness and response interventions, the Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and civil society organizations conducted WASH assessments in 50 HCFs designated as COVID-19 isolation facilities. Assessments were based on the Water and Sanitation for Health Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT), a multi-step framework to inform the continuous monitoring and improvement of WASH services. The WASH FIT assessments revealed that one in four HCFs did not have adequate services across the domains of water, sanitation, health care waste, hand hygiene, facility environment, cleanliness and disinfection, and management. The sanitation domain had the largest proportion of health care facilities with poor service coverage (42%). Some of the recommendations from this assessment include the provision of sufficient water for all users, Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)- and disability-friendly sanitation facilities, handwashing facilities, waste collection services, energy for incineration or waste treatment facilities, cleaning supplies, and financial resources for HCFs. WASH FIT may be a useful tool to inform WASH interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
| S-EPMC8197478 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe provision of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities and services for schools is vital to students' health, development, and educational performance. However, school WASH coverage in developing countries remains low. This study aimed to assess the adequacy of WASH services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA school-based quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2020 in 98 schools. A multistage sampling technique was used to select schools included in the study. Data were collected using observational checklists and pretested interviewer-administered questionnaires. We entered the data into EPI Info version 7.2.2.6 and analyzed using SPSS 22.0. Logistic regression was used to examine the associated factors with school WASH services.ResultsThe basic school water, sanitation, and hygiene services were found to be 65.3%, 31.6%, and 36.7%, respectively. The facility-to-student ratio was 1:48 for drinking water point, 1:59 for toilet stance, and 1:147 for handwashing point. The analysis of facilities access by sex revealed that the toilet to student ratio was 1:68 for females and 1:49 for males, whereas the handwashing point-to-student ratio was 1:179 for females and 1:114 for males, indicating disparities in facilities access by sex. The non-functionality rates for drinking water, toilets, and handwashing facilities were 22.5%, 8%, and 19.5%, respectively. School ownership was significantly associated with the availability of basic water services [COR = 4.6, 95% CI: 1.466-14.426] and basic sanitation services [COR = 15, 95% CI: 3.27-68.28]. Moreover, the results demonstrate training on WASH [COR = 5, 95% CI: 1.087-23.018] and teaching programs on WASH [COR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.056-0.810] were significantly associated with basic hygiene services.ConclusionsThe provision of WASH facilities and services in schools was inadequate and not on track to meet the targets of SDG 6. Training, WASH education program, and stakeholder commitment and cooperation at all levels are required to achieve the goal.
| S-EPMC10503287 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundImproved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Healthcare facilities (HCFs) is of significant public health importance. It is associated with a reduction in the transmission of healthcare acquired infections (HAIs), increased trust and uptake of healthcare services, cost saving from infections averted, increased efficiency and improved staff morale. Despite these benefits, there is limited evidence on availability of WASH services in HCFs in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA). This study assessed the availability and status of WASH services within HCFs in the GKMA in order to inform policy and WASH programming.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 60 HCFs. Availability of WASH services in the study HCFs was assessed using a validated WASH Conditions (WASHCon) tool comprising of structured interviews, HCF observations and microbial water quality analysis. Data were analysed using Stata 14 software and R software.ResultsOverall, 84.5% (49/58) and 12.1% (7/58) of HCFs had limited and basic WASH service respectively. About 48.3% (28/58) had limited water service, 84.5% (49/58) had limited sanitation service, 50.0% (29/58) had limited environmental cleanliness service, 56.9% (33/58) had limited hand hygiene service, and 51.7% (30/58) had limited waste management service. About 94.4% of public HCFs had limited WASH service compared to only 68.2% of private not for profit facilities. More health centre IIIs, 92.5% and health centre IVs (85.7%) had limited WASH service compared to hospitals (54.5%).ConclusionsOur findings indicate that provision of water, sanitation, hand hygiene, environmental cleanliness, and health care waste management services within HCFs is largely hindered by structural and performance limitations. In spite of these limitations, it is evident that environmental cleanliness and treatment of infectious waste can be attained with better oversight and dedicated personnel. Attaining universal WASH coverage in HCFs will require deliberate and strategic investments across the different domains.
| S-EPMC7682765 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Despite some progress, universal access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) by 2030-a remit of Sustainable Development Goal 6-remains a distant prospect in many countries. Policy-makers and implementers of the WASH sector are challenged to track a new path. This research aimed to identify core orienting themes of the sector, as legacies of past processes, which can provide insights for its future. We reviewed global policy, science and programmatic documents and carried out 19 expert interviews to track the evolution of the global WASH sector over seven decades. We situated this evolution in relation to wider trends in global health and development over the same time period.With transnational flows of concern, expertise and resources from high-income to lower-income countries, the WASH sector evolved over decades of international institutionalisation of health and development with (1) a focus on technologies (technicalisation), (2) a search for generalised solutions (universalisation), (3) attempts to make recipients responsible for environmental health (responsibilisation) and (4) the shaping of programmes around quantifiable outcomes (metricisation). The emergent commitment of the WASH sector to these core themes reflects a pragmatic response in health and development to depoliticise poverty and social inequalities in order to enable action. This leads to questions about what potential solutions have been obscured, a recognition which might be understood as 'uncomfortable knowledge'-the knowns that have had to be unknown, which resonate with concerns about deep inequalities, shrinking budgets and the gap between what could and has been achieved.
| S-EPMC11459319 | biostudies-literature