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Lusaka, Saturday (November 30, 2024)
MEDIA STATEMENT
Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) – CIDRZ Chief Executive Officer Izukanji Sikazwe has emphasized the importance of handwashing in preventing the spread of diseases, especially in light of the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, recent cholera outbreaks and the threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Dr. Sikazwe noted that while handwashing is a key intervention in public health, it has been neglected in many Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector initiatives, which typically focus on improving access to clean water and sanitation.
“Handwashing is often overlooked, even though it plays a critical role in preventing infections, including diarrheal and respiratory diseases, and the spread of antimicrobial resistant germs” she said.
Dr. Sikazwe called for more robust systems to facilitate handwashing, particularly at critical times, and stressed the need for greater investment in hygiene-focused programs.
She said this in Lusaka in a speech read on her behalf by CIDRZ Senior Research Technical Advisor, Dr. Anjali Sharma, during the dissemination of a joint research study, conducted by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) which is a Member of the Zambia NGO WASH Forum and a close collaborator of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
The study has reported valuable insights into the factors influencing the acceptability of handwashing facilities (HWFs) in peri-urban areas of Lusaka.
The study, which focused on the George and Matero townships, reveals that hygienic use—the ability to effectively remove dirt and germs—and water storage capacity are the most important attributes for potential users of handwashing stations.
The qualitative study also found that cost is a significant driver in the overall preference of handwashing facilities.
After understanding the and listing attributes important to end-users, 3 of the most preferred hand washing facilities were piloted in homes and users shared their experiences around using them.
Findings revealed safety and security mainly from theft were a major driver in situating the handwashing facilities, hence most people kept them in the home.
Others reported that their visibility acted as a cue for handwashing while others chose to situate them outside the house at the verandah to avoid waters spillage in the home and to encourage household and non-household members to wash their hands before entering the house. These findings provide essential guidance for policymakers and program developers on important factors to consider in implementing effective strategies to promote hand hygiene practices.
These findings will be used in large scale trial that will assess the effects of hand hygiene promotion and hardware provision on handwashing with soap behaviour at critical handwashing junctures.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Winfridah Liwoyo Mulenga, Chief Health Promotion Officer at Zambia’s Ministry of Health, commended the research and underscored the importance of evidence-based interventions.
“It’s vital to implement interventions that are supported by solid evidence. We look forward to working with all partners to improve the health of our nation,” she said.
CIDRZ Head of Social and Behaviral Science Department Jenala Chipungu noted that the the study comes at a time when handwashing rates in Zambia remain low, with only 29% of the population having access to a handwashing facility with soap and water, according to the World Health Organization’s Joint Monitoring Programme.
CIDRZ and LSHTM are hopeful that these findings will help inform future hygiene programs and public health policies in Zambia and beyond.
The study has been published as a pre-print and can be found here: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.11.24315333v1#:~:text=Results%20Discussions%20revealed%20nine%20attributes,were%20considered%20most%20important%20attributes.
