Water and Sanitation
Water and SanitationWith 2.1 billion people – mostly in rural areas – lacking safely managed drinking water and reported low rural water supply functionality rates, the Sustainable Development Goals pose a triple challenge: to reach unserved mostly rural population groups, to raise service levels, and to sustain existing and future services. This assessment uses a multi-country case… Read more
This report, part of WSUP’s Urban Sanitation Research Initiative, explores the background to the urban sanitation sector in Ghana. Ghana is a fast-growing economy that has made notable progress in reducing poverty but urban infrastructure has not kept pace with cities’ expansion and high levels of rural-urban migration. Only a fraction of urban residents use… Read more
This report, part of WSUP’s Urban Sanitation Research Initiative, explores the background to the urban sanitation sector in Kenya. Kenya is one of Africa’s top 10 economies, experiencing strong urban growth amid deep institutional and governance reforms. However, a minority of urban residents use improved sanitation facilities as per the JMP definition, while wastewater treatment… Read more
This report, an output of WSUP’s Urban Sanitation Research Initiative, explores the background to the urban sanitation sector in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a lower middle-income country with high ambitions, but poor infrastructure in urban areas is holding back economic growth. However, onsite sanitation is the norm; transport and treatment services for sewage and faecal sludge… Read more
The focus of this Policy Research Digest is on the viability of community management as the predominant model – and policy approach – of many countries in the global south. Based on a review of existing and recent literature Harold Lockwood sets out the argument that while community management may not be sufficient as the predominant, or… Read more
This study examined the knowledge and practices of adolescent school girls in Kano, Nigeria around menstruation and menstrual hygiene. It argues that the majority had fair knowledge of menstruation, although deficient in specific knowledge areas. Institutionalising sexuality education in Nigerian schools; developing and disseminating sensitive adolescent reproductive health massages targeted at both parents and their… Read more
Menstrual health is one of the major areas of concern in reproductive health affecting a large number of women, starting from their adolescence. Menstrual hygiene and management has direct consequences on fertility and reproductive tract infections respectively. This study aimed to: investigate the availability of sanitary napkins in the operational villages of Block Chinhat in… Read more
The market for menstrual hygiene products in developing countries is expanding rapidly, driven both by private demand and by public efforts to improve girls’ educational outcomes as well as women’s health and dignity. However, many girls and women cannot consistently afford the monthly cost of disposable menstrual products and revert to less hygienic solutions when… Read more
Little is known about how menstruation is managed in low-income settings and whether existing sanitation systems meet women’s needs. Using the ‘Photovoice’ method with 21 women in participatory workshops and in-depth interviews, data was collected on menstrual hygiene management in three sites in Durban, South Africa. All women reported using disposable sanitary pads. Although they… Read more
This resource aims to provide a comprehensive guide on menstrual hygiene that supports the development of context-specific information for improving practices for women and girls in lower- and middle-income countries. It brings together examples of good menstrual hygiene practice from around the world, related to policies, strategies, programmes and interventions, so that knowledge can be shared and adapted to… Read more
An increasing number of studies have found that girls in low-income settings miss or struggle at school during menstruation if they are unable to manage their menstrual hygiene effectively. This study explores the menstrual hygiene practices and knowledge of girls at rural government primary schools in the Rukungiri district in Uganda and assesses the extent… Read more