Exploration into the Factors Affecting the Coverage of Household Latrines in Kagera, Tanzania

Download Article

DOI: 10.21522/TIJPH.2013.04.04.Art037

Authors : James Barongo Bashweka

Abstract:

Low coverage of household latrines in the Kagera Region of Tanzania continues to exist despite past and current interventions to improve the situation. A limited understanding of the reasons for the low coverage restricted solving of this problem. The research which aimed to explore the perceptions of community members and latrine promoters was sought to increase understanding of this problem.

Methods: Study designed was an exploratory qualitative approach that employed two qualitative research methods: focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Focus groups discussion involved elderly community members and Ward Development Committee members who are leaders and latrine promoters. In-depth interviews involved key informants whose job descriptions includes the promotion of household latrines. Ethical approval was obtained from University of Western Cape and authorisation to conduct the study from the Kagera Regional Administrative Secretary.

Results: Content analysis revealed a thick description of respondent’s perceptions in relation to factors which affect the coverage of household latrines in the Kagera Region. Interlinked factors were revealed including low community involvement and participation, poverty, cultural beliefs and taboos, gender disparity, low technical capacity of latrine promoters and poor packaging.

Conclusion: This study revealed myriad factors which affect the coverage of household latrines in Kagera Region of Tanzania. Recommendations were put forward including adoption of an integrated approach, empowerment of members, and provision of capacity building interventions for the key latrine promoters. Insights gained through this study could contribute towards improving the coverage of household latrines in the Kagera Region of Tanzania.

Keywords: Low coverage, household, latrine, sanitation, factors, promotion, perception, Muleba District, Kagera Region, Tanzania

References:

[1] Africa Minister’s Council on Water, EUWI and UNDP, (2006). On Track to Meet the MDGs on Water and Sanitation: A Status, Overview of Sixteen Africa Countries.

[2] Cameron, L., (2009). Household pit latrine and child health in rural Ethiopia. Department of International Development, Young Lives, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.

[3] Chaggu, E., (2009). Sanitation Sector Status and Gap Analysis. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

[4] DFID, (2002). Water supply and Sanitation in DFID Programme and Project Cycle. [Online]. Available: www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/publications/guidance/overview.pdf [Accessed: 12/04/2012: 6.22 PM]

[5] Diallo, M. O., Hopkins, D. R., Kane, M. S., Niandou, S., Amadou, A., Kadri, B., Amza, A., Emerson, P. M. and Zingeser, J. A. (2007). Household latrine use, maintenance and acceptability in rural Zinder. Niger International Journal of Environmental Health Research. Volume 17, Issue 6.

[6] End Water Poverty, (2010). A Programme for action: tackling the sanitation crisis. [Online]. Available: www.endwaterpoverty.org [Accessed: 8/03/2012: 6.45 PM]

[7] End Water Poverty, (2010). Sanitation and Water For All. [Online]. Available: www.endwaterpoverty.org [Accessed: 8/03/2012: 5.45 PM]

[8] Guion, L., (2006), Department of Family, Youth and Community Science, Cooperative Extension Service, IFAS, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. [Online]. Available: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY393 [Accessed: 28/01/2012 7.30 PM].

[9] Hesperian Foundation, (2005). Sanitation and cleanness for a healthy environment [Online]. Available: http://www.hesperian.org. [Accessed: 12/01/2012 12.30 PM].

[10] Krumeich, A., Weijts, W., Reddy, P. and Meier-Weitz, A. (2001). The Benefits of Anthropological Approaches for Health Promotion Research and Practice. Health Education Research, 16(2): 121-30.

[11] McCullough, L. (2005). Women, Water and Hygiene are Key to Change in Africa. [Online]. Available: http://unicef.org/media/media_28260.html [Accessed: 29/03/2011 4.00 PM]

[12] Mukwaya, R., Kusiima, B.A. (1998). Community use of pit latrines in Mubende District, Uganda. Basic Services Fund, South Sudan.

[13] Muleba District Council, (2011). Council Comprehensive Health Plan 2011/12. Tanzania.

[14] National Bureau of Statistics Tanzania (2010). Demographic and Health Survey. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

[15] Pattanayak, J. K., Yang J.C., Dickinson, K. L., Poulos, C. V., Patil, S. R., Mallick, R. K., Blitstein, J. L. and Praharaj, P. (2009). Shame or subsidy revisited: social mobilization for sanitation in Orissa, India. [Online]. Available: www.who.in/entity/bulletin/volumes/

[16] 87/8/08-057422/en/-54k [Accessed: 29/03/2011 3.00 PM].

[17] Population Service International (2004) The Prevalence of Diarrhoea In Tanzania, [Online] : http://www.psi.or.tz/our-works/safe-water.php

[18] RS and RHMT, (2011). Strategic Plan July 2010–June 2015. Regional Commission’s Office, Kagera Region, Tanzania.]

[19] Santakar, C. (2010). Achieving one hundred per cent individual household latrines coverage. [Online]. Available: www.unicef.org/india/reallives_6129.htm [Accessed: 5/06/2012 3.00 PM]

[20] Schaay N. and Sander, D., (2006). International Perspective on Primary Health Care over the past 30 years. School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

[21] Stitt.T. (2005). Evaluation of rural sanitation program in Vanuatu with management recommendations. Journal of Rural and Tropical Public Health 4: 1-9 (2005)

[22] Tibaijuka. A, (2010). Gender Equity and Sanitation. Opening Statement at the UNHABITAT Gender Quality Action Assembly. Brazil.

[23] UNIAIDS, (2011). UN-Women Gender Equality and HIV/AIDS, New York. Email: genderandaids@ unwomen.org

[24] UNDP Human Development Report, (2006). Beyond scarcity, Power, poverty and global waste. [Online], Available: http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2006_Chapter_1.pdf [Accessed: 19/12/2012 8.40 PM]

[25] UNDP, (2012). The Millennium Development Goals Report 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202012.pdf [Accessed: 14/ 12/2012 2.58 PM]

[26] UNICEF, (1998). A Manual on School Sanitation and Hygiene. Water Environment and Sanitation Guidelines, Series No 5. New York. [Online]. Available: http://www.unicef.org [Accessed: 14/ 12/2012 1.30 PM]

[27] UNICEF and Development in partners, (2009). Technical Guidelines for the Construction and Management of Household latrines. A Manual for Field Staff and Practitioners. [Online]. Available: 

http://www.bsf-south-sudan.org/sites/default/files/SS+Tech+Guide--Household+Latrines.pdf [Accessed: 12/12/2012 7.11 PM]

[28] United Republic of Tanzania, (2006). Monitoring Master Plan and Indictor information. Poverty Eradication Division, Ministry of Planning, Economy and Empowerment, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

[29] United Republic of Tanzania (2007). Poverty and Human development Report. Ministry of Planning, Economy and Empowerment, Mkuki nyota publisher, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. [Online]. Available: www.povertymonitoring.go.tz [Accessed: 3/03/2012 4.15 PM]

[30] United Republic of Tanzania, (2009). Supplement to the Public Health Act 2009. Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.

[31] United Republic of Tanzania: Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Prime Minister’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government, (2008). Functions of Regional Health Management System. Roles and Responsibilities of Regional Health Management Team, Regional referral Hospital Management Team and Regional Health Referral Board

[32] Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), (2004). Who Buys Latrines, Where and Why? Sanitation and Hygiene Field Series, Field Notes. Nairobi, Kenya.

[33] Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) Africa Region, (2008). Country Status Overview – Regional Synthesis Report Pathway to progress. Transition to Country Lead Service Delivery Pathways to Meet African’s Water Supply and Sanitation Targets.

[34] Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), (2010). Country Profile Series. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. [Online]. Available: www.wsp.org [Accessed: 6/03/2012 5.30 PM]

[35] Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), (2011). Case study, Getting Africa to meet the Sanitation MDG. Lesson from Rwanda. [Online]. Available: http://www.wsp.org/sites/ wsp.org/files/publications/wsp-rwanda-sanitation-lessons.pdf [Accessed: 17/9/2012 12.44 PM]

[36] Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), (2011). Scaling up Rural Sanitation, Enabling Environment Endline Assessments. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

[37] Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), (2011). Financing Household on-site Sanitation for the Poor. [Online]. Available: http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com [Accessed: 5/02/2012 3.00 PM]

[38] WaterAid and Ayele, (2005). Water is life, Sanitation is Dignity, Sanitation preference and Household latrine Designs, Briefing Note 1. WaterAid, Ethiopia.

[39] WHO and UNICEF, (2006). Meeting the MDG drinking Water and Sanitation Targets: The Urban and Rural Challenges of the decade, Geneva. Switzerland.

[40] WHO and UNICEF, (2008). Join monitoring Programme for water supply and sanitation, The UN mechanisms for accessing progress.

[41] World Bank, (2006). India Water and Sanitation, Bridging the Gaps between Infrastructure and Services. Background Paper on Urban Water Supply and Sanitation

[42] World Health Organisation, (1978). Declaration of Alma Ata, International Conference on Primary Health Care, Alma Ata, USSR: 6-12 September 1978.

[43] World Health Organisation, (1978). Primary Health Care, Report of International Conference on Primary Health Care, Alma Ata, USSR, 6-12 September 1978: 43-48.

[44] World Health Organisation, (2005). Sanitation challenge: Turning commitment into reality. [Online]. Available: www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/envsan/sanitchallenge/en/ index7.html [Accessed: 30/3/2012 3.05 PM]

[45] World Health Organisation, (2010). Monitoring of the achievement of the health related Millennium Development Goal. Report by Secretariat. Sixty-Third World Health Assembly.

[46] World Health Organisation, (undated). The Right Fit: Are Our Institutions Up to the Job? [Online]. Available: 

www.who.int/entity/water sanitation/hygiene/securingsanitation3.pdf [28/3/2012: 4.30 PM]

[47] World Health Organisation, (2012). UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water. The Challenge of Extending and Sustaining Services. Geneva, Switzerland

[48] World Health Organisation, (2012). Health promotions, Milestones in health promotions. Statements from global conferences: The OTTAWA character for health promotion, First International Conference on Health Promotion, OTTAWA 17-21 November, 1986.

[49] Werner, D. (1995). Who Killed Primary Health Care? “How the ideal of health for all was turned into the reality of worsening health for the world’s poor.” The New Internationalist, 1995.