Abstract
Abstract uMkhanyakude District in KwaZulu-Natal province is one of the districts in the six provinces in South Africa where schistosomiasis is endemic. While it is well established that schistosomiasis is a public health problem in the district and that efforts to prevent and control the disease have been made, very little has been done to involve stakeholders in the implementation of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) strategies for schistosomiasis control. Hence, this study sought to document current WASH practices and explore how engaging diverse stakeholders can contribute to the prevention and control of schistosomiasis. Qualitative data were collected through eight key informant interviews with community leaders, nurses, community caregivers, and pre-school teachers; and four focus group discussions with community members during the dry season. The study adopted a grounded theory approach. Data were analyzed using the six steps of thematic analysis. Findings show that the key players in the promotion of water, sanitation, and hygiene were not clearly defined. Although effective implementation, promotion, and adoption of WASH can be fully achieved with the involvement of various stakeholders, we found that there was a limited collaboration among WASH stakeholders.
Highlights
Sub-Saharan Africa is afflicted by a plethora of waterborne diseases including diarrheal disease and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), commonly referred to as diseases of the poor (World Health Organization ; Campbell et al )
Theme I focused on access to facilities, subthemes: water, sanitation, and health care
Theme II was on knowledge about diseases including schistosomiasis; this had the following sub-themes: health education and hygiene, handwashing practices among pre-school-going children, knowledge about WASH-related
Summary
Sub-Saharan Africa is afflicted by a plethora of waterborne diseases including diarrheal disease and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), commonly referred to as diseases of the poor (World Health Organization ; Campbell et al ). Diarrheal outbreaks are common in poor countries that do not have access to adequate drinking water supplies. Schistosomiasis is the second most common NTD after hookworm with 93% of the world’s estimated cases of schistosomiasis reported in Sub-Saharan Africa (Adenowo et al ). 120 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa have schistosomiasis related symptoms and 20 million people experience hardship as a result of the chronic presentation of the disease (Utzinger et al ). Limited access to water and sanitation is one of the contributing factors to the high prevalence of schistosomiasis in Sub-Saharan Africa. One-sixth of the world’s population mostly in developing countries is infected with one or more NTDs (World Health Organization & UNICEF ; Mitra & Mawson )
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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: Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development
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.
