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Wada OZ, Olawade DB, Oladeji EO, Amusa AO, Oloruntoba EO. School water, sanitation, and hygiene inequalities: a bane of sustainable development goal six in Nigeria. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 113:622-635. [PMID: 35411423 PMCID: PMC8999996 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00633-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
The importance of school water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal targets 6.1 and 6.2 in developing countries cannot be overemphasized. However, widespread WASH inequalities remain an impediment to achieving the targets by 2030. Hence, this study was conducted to examine current school-WASH disparities among public and private schools in a low-income Nigerian community using mixed methods.
Methods
The cross-sectional survey utilized multi-stage sampling to select 400 students from five public and five private schools in Akinyele, Ibadan. Semi-structured questionnaires and observational checklists were used to obtain data. Inferential statistics were measured at a 95% confidence interval. Independent variables like the students’ sociodemographic characteristics, school type, and available WASH facilities were associated with dependent variables like respondents’ hand hygiene and sanitation practices and WASH-associated knowledge and attitude to examine existing inequalities.
Results
Classifying the available WASH facilities based on the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, none of the public schools provided any sanitation and hygiene service, while all the private schools provided both services. Furthermore, the private-school students had significantly better WASH knowledge (p<0.001; Ƞ2p=0.152) and attitude (p<0.001; Ƞ2p=0.036) compared with the public-school students. Also, a significantly higher portion of public-school students practiced open defecation at school (p<0.001; odds ratio (OR)=7.4; confidence interval (CI)=4.1–13.5) and at home (p<0.001; OR=7.8; CI=3.7–16.7).
Conclusion
WASH disparities among socioeconomic groups remain a persistent challenge. Sole reliance on the Government to narrow the inequalities has persistently proven unfruitful. There is a need to empower local community stakeholders to facilitate sustainable school-WASH interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ojima Zechariah Wada
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - David Bamidele Olawade
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | | | - Aminat Opeyemi Amusa
- Roseberry Park Hospital, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
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Toleubekov B, Bolatova Z, Stafström M. Assessing Access to WASH in Urban Schools during COVID-19 in Kazakhstan: Case Study of Central Kazakhstan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116438. [PMID: 35682022 PMCID: PMC9180471 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) produces global estimates of the real situation of access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, and sanitation and hygiene in households, educational institutes and health care facilities; however it is lacking data on schools in Kazakhstan. Thus, the aim of this research was to assess access to WASH in schools of urban area in Kazakhstan. The study was conducted in seven schools of Central Kazakhstan during the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictive measures. Three data collection methods were used: a questionnaire for administrative staff, a questionnaire for parents and observation. Parents of offline study pupils (only second and third grades due to the pandemic) were included in the survey. Students had access to in-building toilets in all schools connected to the centralized sewer. The number of school toilets varied from 7 (KAZ200085) to 61 (KAZ200089). The average amount of toilets was 28.08 ± 16.97. Only two out of seven schools complied with the requirements of Kazakhstan national sanitary standards for the ratio of school toilets to the number of students. From the questionnaire with the school administrations, it was defined that the primary source of drinking water was the public water supply. All schools regularly disinfect and check the water supply system. At the same time, the results also revealed discrepancies in the answers between administration and parents (2.6% of parents showed that their children have rare access to drinking water), and insufficient monitoring of implementation of WASH services. This study also confirmed that the full provision of access to water and water services in the structure of educational institutions solves several SDG targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berik Toleubekov
- Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, 214 28 Malmö, Sweden;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-777-2135-287
| | - Zhanerke Bolatova
- School of Public Health, Biomedicine and Pharmacy, Karaganda Medical University, Karaganda 100008, Kazakhstan;
| | - Martin Stafström
- Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, 214 28 Malmö, Sweden;
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Wada OZ, Amusa AO, Asaolu FT, Akinyemi DO, Oloruntoba EO. School Sanitation-Related Psychosocial Stressors among Nigerian Students. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 106:479-485. [PMID: 34872060 PMCID: PMC8832894 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychosocial stressors are indicative of challenges associated with the social and environmental conditions an individual is subjected to. In a bid to clearly understand the present gaps in school sanitation, this cross-sectional study aimed to identify the sanitation-related psychosocial stressors experienced by students in a Nigerian peri-urban community and their associated impacts. A three-stage sampling technique was used to select 400 students from 10 schools. The students to toilet ratio were 1,521:0 and 1,510:0 for the public-school boys and girls, respectively, and 74:1 and 70:1 for the private-school boys and girls, respectively. Furthermore, public-school students had a significantly higher average stress level (P < 0.001, η2p = 0.071) and a significantly higher proportion of students experiencing school absenteeism (P < 0.001; odds ratio [OR] = 4.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.7-8.2), missed classes (P < 0.001; OR = 5.8; CI = 2.8-12.0), long urine/fecal retention time (P < 0.001; OR = 2.9; CI = 1.8-4.7), open defecation practice (P < 0.001; OR = 4.2; CI = 2.5-7.1), and open defecation-related anxiety (P < 0.001; OR = 3.6; CI = 2.0-6.5). Moreover, the inability to practice menstrual hygiene management was significantly associated with student-reported monthly school absence among girls (P < 0.001; OR = 4.5; CI = 2.2-9.4). Overall, over 50% of the respondents had reportedly been subjected to at least 14 of the 17 stressors outlined. The most prevalent stressors identified were concerns about disease contraction, toilet cleanliness, toilet phobia, privacy, and assault/injury during open defecation/urination. In conclusion, results show that the absence of functional sanitation facilities purportedly has a grievous effect on the mental, physical, social, and academic well-being of the students. This was clearly seen among public-school students. Subsequent sanitation interventions need to be targeted at ameliorating identified stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ojima Zechariah Wada
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar;,Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria,Address correspondence to Ojima Zechariah Wada, Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar. E-mail:
| | - Aminat Opeyemi Amusa
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Kouamé PK, Galli A, Peter M, Loss G, Wassa D, Bonfoh B, Utzinger J, Winkler MS. Access to Water and Sanitation Infrastructures for Primary Schoolchildren in the South-Central Part of Côte d'Ivoire. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:8863. [PMID: 34444615 PMCID: PMC8392625 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In rural settings of Côte d'Ivoire, access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) at schools is often lacking. The purpose of this study was to assess the availability, quality, and use of WASH infrastructure in schools in the south-central part of Côte d'Ivoire, and to determine the hygiene practices of schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 primary schools with (n = 10) or without (n = 10) direct access to drinking water. The survey was comprised of a questionnaire directed at schoolchildren aged 8-17 years, an assessment of the WASH infrastructure, and the testing of drinking water samples for Escherichia coli and total coliforms. Overall, 771 schoolchildren were enrolled in the study. One out of four children (24.9%) reported that they used available toilets. Among those children not using toilets, more than half (57.5%) reported that they practised open defecation. Drinking water infrastructure was limited in most schools because of poor storage tanks, the low flow of water, or broken wells. All drinking water samples (n = 18) tested positive for total coliforms and 15 (83.3%) tested positive for E. coli. The lack of WASH infrastructures in primary schools in the south-central part of Côte d'Ivoire, in combination with poor hygiene practices, might govern disease transmission and absenteeism at school, especially among females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parfait K. Kouamé
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, 01 BP 1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire; (P.K.K.); (B.B.)
| | - Anaïs Galli
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; (G.L.); (J.U.); (M.S.W.)
- University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maryna Peter
- Institute for Ecopreneurship, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland;
| | - Georg Loss
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; (G.L.); (J.U.); (M.S.W.)
- University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Bassirou Bonfoh
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, 01 BP 1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire; (P.K.K.); (B.B.)
| | - Jürg Utzinger
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; (G.L.); (J.U.); (M.S.W.)
- University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mirko S. Winkler
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; (G.L.); (J.U.); (M.S.W.)
- University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
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