Assessment Of Water, Sanitation And Hygiene (WaSH) In Basic Schools: Case Study Ledzokuku Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

Water, sanitation, and hygiene are necessary for the wellbeing of man. The importance of WaSH is demonstrated by the daily need of humans for good water sanitation and hygiene or the levels of morbidity and mortality caused by the inadequacy of water sanitation and hygiene in meeting the daily needs of humans, especially children. Children are known to spend the majority of their day in school and are known to be vulnerable to poverty, so it is prudent to assess and evaluate the WaSH situations in school, especially due to the significant amount of intervention in WaSH in school. This study assessed the WaSH in basic schools in the Ledzokuku Municipality using a descriptive cross-sectional survey approach. A simple random sampling technique was used to sample 14 basic schools out of 19, after which semi-structured questionnaires were administered to the heads of schools or their representatives. An observational checklist was also used to collect data, which was analysed using Excel 2017. The results showed that 86% of schools had received WaSH interventions, 92% had toilets, but only 86% had improved toilets. Urinals were found to be present in all schools, although the types and states varied. Hygiene promotion was visible in all schools. The main hindering factors for adhering to WinS standards were funds and poor-quality handwashing vessels, while the enabling factors were COVID-19 and WaSH assessment. Over all, the adherence to the WinS module for Ghana is low in the municipality; more efforts are needed to ensure 100% adherence to the WaSH guildlines.