Abstract
ABSTRACT Diarrhoeal disease remains a leading cause of death in children in sub-Saharan Africa, attributed to environmental health factors such as inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and food hygiene. This formative study in low-income areas of Blantyre focussed on the practices in Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDCs) environments where children spend a significant amount of time. A mixed-methods approach was applied to identify key hygiene behaviours in ECDCs through; checklist and structured observations (n = 849 children; n = 33 caregivers), focus group discussions (n = 25) and microbiological sampling (n = 261) of drinking water, food handler’s hands, and eating utensils. ECDCs had inadequate WASH infrastructure; coupled with poor hygiene practices and unhygienic environments increased the risk of faecal-oral disease transmission. Presence of E. coli in drinking water confirmed observed poor water handling habits by staff and children. Addressing undesired hygiene practices in ECDCs has the potential to improve the health outcomes of children in low-income settings.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Health Research
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
