Access to Water and Sanitation Infrastructures for Primary Schoolchildren in the South-Central Part of Côte d’Ivoire

Parfait K. Kouamé, Anaïs Galli, Maryna Peter, Georg Loss, Diarassouba Wassa, Bassirou Bonfoh, Jürg Utzinger and Mirko S. Winkler
Additional contact information
Parfait K. Kouamé: Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, 01 BP 1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire
Anaïs Galli: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Maryna Peter: Institute for Ecopreneurship, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
Georg Loss: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Diarassouba Wassa: Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire
Bassirou Bonfoh: Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, 01 BP 1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire
Jürg Utzinger: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Mirko S. Winkler: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-15

Abstract: In rural settings of Côte d’Ivoire, access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) at schools is often lacking. The purpose of this study was to assess the availability, quality, and use of WASH infrastructure in schools in the south-central part of Côte d’Ivoire, and to determine the hygiene practices of schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 primary schools with (n = 10) or without (n = 10) direct access to drinking water. The survey was comprised of a questionnaire directed at schoolchildren aged 8–17 years, an assessment of the WASH infrastructure, and the testing of drinking water samples for Escherichia coli and total coliforms. Overall, 771 schoolchildren were enrolled in the study. One out of four children (24.9%) reported that they used available toilets. Among those children not using toilets, more than half (57.5%) reported that they practised open defecation. Drinking water infrastructure was limited in most schools because of poor storage tanks, the low flow of water, or broken wells. All drinking water samples (n = 18) tested positive for total coliforms and 15 (83.3%) tested positive for E. coli . The lack of WASH infrastructures in primary schools in the south-central part of Côte d’Ivoire, in combination with poor hygiene practices, might govern disease transmission and absenteeism at school, especially among females.

Keywords: Côte d’Ivoire; drinking water; primary schools; schoolchildren; water; sanitation; hygiene (WASH) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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