What Makes Hygiene Education Successful: Experience from Togo, Sri Lanka, and Yemen and Its Relevance for Project Design

摘要

Supplying clean drinking water, increased amounts of water, and better methods of excreta disposal does not automatically reduce disease or improve health. Hygiene education is, therefore, now recognized as an essential part of water supply and sanitation projects. Hygiene education is an indispensable part of such projects and ensures improved health and sustainability of the system after donor assistance is withdrawn. Hygiene education informs community members about how to use water in a more health-promoting, disease-preventing way. It includes instruction in all aspects of water collection, storage, use, and disposal; the use of clean water for feeding infants and general food preparation; desired bathing practices for all ages; and domestic cleanliness. The report provides guidance for project designers and implementers as well as for policy- and decision-makers in water supply and sanitation projects which should lead to both improved health and sustainable projects. Several such projects have had effective hygiene education components. These projects have been analyzed and the lessons learned presented in the report.