BU Research Blog

Access to safe and sufficient drinking Water, Sanitation, and good Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools play a crucial role in preventing numerous diseases, improving the learning environment in schools, and creating resilient communities living in a healthy environment. This study in Nepal explored the impact of combining WASH facilities on students’ health status, school attendance, and educational achievements [1].
A total of 24 participants, 16 students, and eight teachers were interviewed; data were audio recorded and analyzed thematically.  Some of the results suggest that school-WASH facilities have a significant impact on students’ health and well‐being. Poor school‐WASH facilities hindered students’ school attendance, particularly for menstruating girls. School without separate toilets for girls, including menstruation hygiene facilities, lack of water and soap, sanitary pad, and secure toilet’s door often have higher rates of absenteeism among girls. It is important to note that inadequate WASH facilities affect not only students, but also teachers in the same school.  The latest paper conclude that a lack of safe and sufficient drinking water, unimproved sanitation, and poor hygiene facilities were seen by students and teachers as reducing their health and well‐being, school attendance, and academic performance. Schools needs to  provide better WASH facilities for the benefit of students’ health, attendance, and educational proficiency.

This is a follow-up from an earlier paper on the effect on educational achievement in the same population [2].

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health

References:

1. Sharma MK, Adhikari R, Khanal SP, Acharya D, van Teijlingen E. (2024) Do school Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene facilities affect students’ health status, attendance,
   and educational achievements? A qualitative study in Nepal. Health Science Reports; 7:e2293.  https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.2293
2. Sharma, M., Adhikari, R., van Teijlingen, E., Devkota, B., Khanal, S. (2024) Improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Facilities at School and their Effect on Educational Achievement in Basic Level Students in Nepal, International Journal of Health Promotion & Education (accepted). https://doi.org/10.1080/14635240.2024.2314459.