Dataset Information

Assessment of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Conditions in Public Elementary Schools in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in schools are essential to reduce infectious disease transmission, including that of COVID-19. This study aimed to establish a baseline of WASH services in six public elementary schools in Guatemala, with a focus on hand hygiene. We used the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report indicators to assess the WASH infrastructure at each school. We collected water samples from easily accessible water points (pilas, or bathroom sinks) at each school to test for the presence of total coliforms and E. coli. In-depth interviews were carried out with teachers to understand hand hygiene practices and systems at school. Results indicate that all schools had water available at the time of the survey. All water samples at four schools tested positive for total coliforms and at one school, positive for E. coli. All schools had sanitation facilities, but services were limited. Only 43% of handwashing stations at schools had soap available. No school had disability-inclusive WASH services. Financial constraints and a lack of appropriate WASH infrastructure were the main barriers reported by teachers to meet hand hygiene needs at school. Appropriate access to WASH infrastructure and supplies could increase hand hygiene practices and improve learning conditions for students.

SUBMITTER: Pieters MM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10606716 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Assessment of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Conditions in Public Elementary Schools in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Pieters Michelle M MM Fahsen Natalie N Craig Christina C Quezada Ramiro R Pratt Caroline Q CQ Gomez Andrea A Brown Travis W TW Kossik Alexandra A McDavid Kelsey K Vega Ocasio Denisse D Lozier Matthew J MJ Cordón-Rosales Celia C

International journal of environmental research and public health 20231013 20

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in schools are essential to reduce infectious disease transmission, including that of COVID-19. This study aimed to establish a baseline of WASH services in six public elementary schools in Guatemala, with a focus on hand hygiene. We used the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report indicators to assess the WASH infrastructure at each school. We collected water samples from easily accessible water points (pilas, or bathroom sinks) at each ...[more]

PMID: 37887652

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Project description:The previous paucity of data and research on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools in Brazil have been preventing an assessment of how safe and healthy schools are to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed first to assess the current situation of WASH in schools in Brazil and, second, to evaluate to what extent Brazilian schools have been making any progress in providing WASH since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on WASH conditions in schools in Brazil was retrieved from the 2020 and 2021 Brazilian National School Census BNSC. For the first objective, frequencies of 31 variables were calculated for the whole country and regions, considering all 173,700 schools from BNSC of 2021. Five main variables were considered as indicators of adequate WASH infrastructure in schools. T-test and ANOVA were used to assess differences in these five variables according to the locality, management model and regions. For the second objective only schools presented in both datasets (n = 170,422) were considered to compare WASH in schools pre- and peri-COVID-19 pandemic. Frequencies of 31 variables were calculated for the whole country and regions before and during the pandemic. Paired t-tests were conducted when differences in variables across the years were observed. At the present moment, the majority of schools in Brazil have bathrooms (97%), drinking water with quality suitable for human consumption (95%), improved sanitation facilities (78%) and solid waste collection (70%). Between 2020 and 2021, there was a mix of improvements and deterioration in the school's WASH infrastructure in all regions of the country. Overall, solely considering the WASH infrastructure, schools in the South and Southeast regions of the country are better prepared for the safe reopening. Nevertheless, public schools, schools located in rural areas and the North and Northeast regions of the country, are more in need of WASH interventions. Results indicate that little progress was achieved, and schools in Brazil are still in need of improvements. Graphical abstract Image 1

Dataset Information

Assessment of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Conditions in Public Elementary Schools in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Publications

Assessment of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Conditions in Public Elementary Schools in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Similar Datasets

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