Benefits of clean water nullified by poor hygiene

THE benefits of clean water and proper sanitation are undermined without better hygiene practices, according to a report by international not- for- profit organisation WaterAid.

WaterAid works in 28 countries to provide clean water and good hygiene to the public.

WaterAid’s State of Hygiene in Southern Africa report argues that poor hygiene is a major contributor to several hygiene-related diseases in the southern Africa region.

Most prominent are the en- demic cholera outbreaks in five countries in the region, including Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as outbreaks of typhoid, Hepatitis E and, more recently, listeria in South Africa.

Good hygiene practices are essential in preventing the spread of potentially deadly waterborne diseases, and without them, the benefits of other poverty reduction strategies will be undermined and human dignity compromised, the report said.

According to the report, less than half of the rural population in southern Africa has access to a proper toilet, as recorded by the Joint Monitoring Programme. This exposes the poorest and most vulnerable communities to disease, and trapping them in a cycle of poverty, WaterAid said.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation estimates that a newborn in low- and middle-income countries dies every minute from infections related to a lack of clean water and an unclean environment.

Providing water, adequate toilets and hygiene in homes and health centres would help support these newborns to survive and thrive.

The State of Hygiene report shows that hygiene practices vary between and within countries, and disparities exist between urban and rural areas, and between rich and poor households, and identifies some of the main areas for improvement in hygiene practices.

This includes open defecation, which presents a significant public health risk, but remains widespread in the region, especially in rural areas.

In Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe, the proportion of people practising open defecation is higher than the proportion with access to a basic latrine.

The report found that the practice of handwashing was low, and basic handwashing with soap and water is practised by less than a quarter of the population in five out of eight countries for which data is available.

Collection and transport of drinking water also presents a significant risk of post-collection contamination, and treating stored drinking water at household level is infrequently practised throughout the region.

The report argues that key barriers to delivering hygiene behaviour-change programmes include inconsistent policy inclusion and limited available data, meaning that the promotion of better hygiene practices is often overlooked in reviews and planning.

WaterAid regional director Robert Kampala said: “Across southern African too many people live without access to clean water and proper sanitation. But progress towards improving access to these basic facilities must be complemented with a step-change in attitudes towards the promotion of better hygiene practices.”