Sanitation and Hygiene Practices in Small Towns in Tanzania: The Case of Babati District, Manyara Region

Abstract

Formative research findings from the fast-growing Babati town were used to assess the prevalence of sanitation and hygiene practices among individuals and institutions and associated factors. A cross-sectional study involving household surveys, spot-checks, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and structured observations of behaviors showed that 90% of households have sanitation facilities, but 68% have safely managed sanitation services. The most common types of household sanitation facilities were pit latrines with slab (42%) followed by flush/pour flush toilets (32%). Therefore, the management of wastewater depends entirely on onsite sanitation systems. The majority of households (70%) do not practice proper hygiene behaviors. Thirteen percent of the households had handwashing stations with soap and water, handwashing practice being more common to women (38%) than men (18%). The reported handwashing practices during the four critical moments (handwashing with soap before eating and feeding, after defecation, after cleaning child's bottom, and after touching any dirt/dust) differed from the actual/observed practices. Households connected to the town's piped water supply were more likely to practice handwashing than those not directly connected. Sanitation and hygiene behaviors of the people in the study area were seen to be influenced by sociodemographic, cultural, and economic factors. The conditions of sanitation and hygiene facilities in public places were unsatisfactory. There is an urgent need to ensure that the sanitation and hygiene services and behaviors along the value chain (from waste production/source to disposal/end point) are improved both at the household level and in public places through improved sanitation services and the promotion of effective hygiene behavior change programs integrated into ongoing government programs and planning.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Practices and Their Association With Childhood Diarrhoea in Rural Households of Mayurbhanj District, Odisha, India

“…As a result, pour toilets and pit latrines are more commonly used in the study area. The findings from this study are similar to the findings from the studies conducted in India and Tanzania, which revealed more use of pour toilets and pit toilets than flush toilets due to the inaccessibility of the water system [ 33 - 34 ]. Therefore, the occurrence of diarrhoea is likely to be higher in households who use pour latrines and pit latrines than in others.…”

Exploring Household Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene and Acute Diarrhea among Children in St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…These factors were selected based on relevant literature. [27][28][29][30][31] The household wealth index was calculated by Principal Component Analysis following the World Food Program's Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis Guidelines. 32 Supplemental Table 2 lists the variables used to calculate the wealth index.…”

Water and Handwashing in a Drought-Prone Region of Southern Niger: How Environment, Household Infrastructure, and Exposure to Social and Behavior Change Messages Interact

“…Consistent with previous studies, household infrastructure and wealth measured through a wealth index was an important factor in having water and soap at the handwashing station. 26,27 Taken together, our findings suggest that household infrastructure and water access challenges in this drought-prone setting should be considered when addressing hygienerelated behavior. 28 In particular, there should be an increased emphasis on addressing the needs of economically vulnerable groups through the development of, for example, pro-poor sanitation business models.…”