Current water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions in selected schools in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Wami, Meleruchi; Fisher, Julie; Akpilla, Scott; Radu, Tanja

doi:https://doi.org/10.3828/idpr.2022.6

International Development Planning Review Ahead of print, 1–22.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3828/idpr.2022.6
Language: English
Pages: 22

Abstract

Access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in school contributes to an enabling learning environment and quality education, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study investigated WASH conditions in twenty selected secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria with a total of 806 respondents. Results showed limited levels of WASH services according to the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) ladder, with at least 30 per cent of schools having limited water and sanitation services and no hygiene services, and less than 10 per cent of students reporting water and soap for handwashing being always available. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on the student-totoilet ratio (STR) were not met in most schools. This study provides new insights on WASH in schools using Rivers State, Nigeria as a case study and finds the current WASH conditions to be inadequate. Furthermore, the study provides transferable lessons having wider application across selected LMICs and can be used by stakeholders to better apply WASH interventions in schools.

FormatOnline article

£25.00

READ THIS ARTICLE

If you have private access to this content, please log in with your username and password here

References

Ana, G. R. E. E., Oloruntoba, E. O., Sridhar, M. K. C. and Adekolu, A. (2008) ‘Water and sanitation problems in selected schools in Ibadan, Nigeria’, in H. Jones (ed.), Proceedings of the 33rd WEDC International Conference: Access to Sanitation and Safe Water: Global Partnerships and Local Actions, Accra, Ghana, 2008, Loughborough, WEDC, 8-12. Google Scholar

Brown, J., Cairncross, S. and Ensink, J. H. J. (2013) ‘Water, sanitation, hygiene and enteric infections in children’, Archives of Disease in Childhood, 98(8), 629-634. Google Scholar

Burns, R. B. (2000) Introduction to Research Methods, 4th edn, London, Sage. Google Scholar

Conroy, R. (2018) The RCSI Sample Size Handbook, doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.30497.51043, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324571619_The_RCSI_Sample_size_handbook (accessed 21 March 2022). Google Scholar

Cooper, R. (2018) ‘Water, sanitation, and hygiene services in Pakistan’ (K4D Helpdesk Report), Brighton, Institute of Development Studies, https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/14245 (accessed 8 October 2020). Google Scholar

Crofts, T. and Fisher, J. (2012) ‘Menstrual hygiene in Ugandan schools: an investigation of low-cost sanitary pads’, Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 2(1), 50-58. Google Scholar

Danière, A., Drummond, L., NaRanong, A., and Tran, V. A. T. (2016) ‘Sustainable flows: water management and municipal flexibility in Bangkok and Hanoi’, Journal of Environment and Development, 25(1), 47-72. Google Scholar

Egbinola, C. N. and Amanambu, A. C. (2015) ‘Water supply, sanitation and hygiene education in secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria’, Bulletin of Geography, 29(29), 31-46. Google Scholar

Jasper, C., Le, T. T. and Bartram, J. (2012) ‘Water and sanitation in schools: a systematic review of the health and educational outcomes’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9(8), 2772-2787. Google Scholar

Jordanova, T., Cronk, R., Obando, W., Medina, O. Z., Kinoshita, R. and Bartram, J. (2015) ‘Water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools in low socio-economic regions in Nicaragua: a cross-sectional survey’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(6), 6197-6217. Google Scholar

Karon, A. J., Croninb, A. A., Cronka, R. and Hendrawan, R. (2017) ‘Improving water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools in Indonesia: a cross-sectional assessment on sustaining infrastructural and behavioral interventions’, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 220(3), 539-550. Google Scholar

Kotingo, E. L., Ayerite, A. and Chukwuma, C. (2014) ‘Evaluation of the toilet facilities in primary schools in the Niger Delta: WASH education series 2’, International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 3(9), 91-100. Google Scholar

Morgan, C., Bowling, M., Bartram, J. and Kaysera, G. L. (2017) ‘Water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools: status and implications of low coverage in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia’, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 220(6), 950-959. Google Scholar

National Population Commission and National Bureau of Statistics (2006) ‘National Population Estimates’, https://africacheck.org/sites/default/files/sources/Population-Forecasts.pdf (accessed 21 March 2022). Google Scholar

Olukanni, D. O. (2013) ‘Assessment of wash program in public secondary schools in South-Western Nigeria’, ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 8(3), 222-228. Google Scholar

RSME (Rivers State Ministry of Education) (2021) Rivers State Information Management System, https://rivemis.riversstate.gov.ng/newrivemis.html (accessed 4 October 2021). Google Scholar

Sommer, M. (2010) ‘Where the education system and women’s bodies collide: the social and health impact of girls’ experiences of menstruation and schooling in Tanzania’, Journal of Adolescence, 33(4), 521-529. Google Scholar

UNESCO (2015) ‘Education for all 2000-2015: achievements and challenges’ (EFA Global education monitoring report), 2nd edn, Paris, UNESCO. Google Scholar

UNICEF (2011) ‘WASH in Schools: Monitoring Package’, New York, https://www.ircwash.org/sites/default/files/UNICEF-2011-WASH.pdf (accessed 21 March 2022). Google Scholar

USEPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) (2002) ‘Method 1604: total coliforms and escherichia coli in water by membrane filtration using a simultaneous detection technique (MI medium)’, 191 Standard Methods, September, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-08/documents/method_1604_2002.pdf (accessed 21 March 2022). Google Scholar

Wami, M. and Fisher, J. (2015) ‘Effect of poor performance of water utilities in Port Harcourt city, Nigeria’ in WEDC (ed.), Proceedings of the 38th WEDC International Conference: Improving Access and Sustainability, Loughborough University, UK, 27-31 July 2015, Loughborough, WEDC, 1-6. Google Scholar

WHO (World Health Organization) (2009) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Standards for Schools in Low-Cost Settings, Geneva, WHO. Google Scholar

WHO (World Health Organization) (2017) Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality, 4th edn, Geneva, WHO. Google Scholar

WHO (World Health Organization) (2018a) ‘Drinking-water’, WHO, 14 June, www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water (accessed 4 April 2018). Google Scholar

WHO (World Health Organization) (2018b) ‘Sanitation’, WHO, 14 June, http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sanitation (accessed 4 April 2018). Google Scholar

WHO/UNICEF (2018) ‘Drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools’ (Global baseline report), WHO/UNICEF Joint monitoring programme for water supply, sanitation and hygiene, New York, WHO/UNICEF. Google Scholar

If you have private access to this content, please log in with your username and password here

Details

Author details

Wami, Meleruchi

Fisher, Julie

Akpilla, Scott

Radu, Tanja

International Development Planning Review