Blog

Water and Sanitation in Zimbabwe

Diarrhoeal disease is one of the major killers of children under five years of age. Literature suggests that diarrheal disease also significantly contributes to stagnancy which leads to cognitive deficits, lower academic performance and lower economic productivity (SHINE, 2015). The infection pathways are mainly connected with poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices (Demberere, Muyambo, Mutengu, Ncozana, & Manyeruke, 2014, p. 98). In order to terminate the transmissions chain, intervention efforts need to jointly address all of WASH areas like chemical water treatment, hand washing and open defecation practices. Research indicates that around 90% of diarrhoeal diseases in children under five are due to their mother’s poor hygiene and open defecation practices. In rural Zimbabwe, 46% of mothers of children under five dispose children’s stool in an unsanitary way. In addition, there is a very high percentage of people who do not wash their hands regularly (Demberere, Chidziya, Ncozana, & Manyeruke, 2016). In order to control the safe disposal of human faeces which is the main sources of diarrhoeal pathogens, it is essential to have proper health and sanitation facilities (Daniel H., 2016, p. 1). Communities must be equipped with means, knowledge and skills needed to quickly achieve and maintain proper basic levels of hygiene in homes and public facilities such as schools, and hospitals. My proposed intervention is Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) which focuses on community behavior change in open defecation practices. Its purpose is to eradicate open defecation including disposal of young children’s faces in an unsanitary manner. The data necessary to support the implementation will be collected through community-based surveys in potential CLTS implementation locations. These surveys will identify community’s WASH practices and attitudes towards the intervention and willingness to follow-up on the activities. Annotated Bibliography Demberere, T., Chidziya, T., Ncozana, T., & Manyeruke, N. (2016). Knowledge and practices regarding water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) among mothers of under-fives in Mawabeni, Umzingwane District of Zimbabwe. Physics And Chemistry Of The Earth, 92, 119-124. doi:10.1016/j.pce.2015.09.013 This study assessed knowledge and practices related to water and sanitation of mothers with children under-fives in Mawabeni area of Zimbabwe. The authors collected the data using qualitative methods such as surveys, observations, interviews and focus group discussion. The results indicate that there is a poor knowledge


Order Now

You are one step closer to getting a quality paper

Get 20% discount on your first order, enjoy regular coupons from Nursing Research Lab when you sign up with us

Start Now