Sanitation Issues Research Articles

ОСНОВНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ ВОДОХОЗЯЙСТВЕННОЙ ОТРАСЛИ ДАГЕСТАНА

The article shows the most significant problems of functioning and development of the water economy of the Republic of Dagestan. The results of a comprehensive analysis of the state of the waters of the Caspian Sea are presented, which shows that the main pollutants here are coastal cities and other settlements with their sewage and other wastes of human activity. It is noted that most of the sewage water is now discharged into the sea directly, without passing through sewage treatment plants. The extremely unfavorable ecological situation in the coastal part of the sea serves as a serious deterrent to the development of the tourist and resort economy in the region under consideration. The authors argue that without progressive changes in the work of the port economy of the capital of Dagestan and its other coastal cities, success in the construction of seaside resorts in the Caspian Sea is unlikely. The article reflects the ecological state of Dagestan reservoirs and watercourses. It is argued about the need to return the Terek River to its natural delta, in particular, it involves the restoration of its estuarine reservoirs. Special emphasis is placed on the task of stopping uncontrolled development and recreational use of mountain reservoirs – the main sources of drinking water in Dagestan. The medical and hygienic condition of water supply sources, in particular, the level of contamination of groundwater used for drinking purposes, are discussed. The issues of water supply and sanitation (non-centralized, centralized, departmental and communal) are considered in detail. It is pointed out that urban and district centralized water supply systems do not meet sanitary and hygienic standards and almost all cities of the republic are experiencing an extreme shortage of treatment facilities. The course of implementation of a number of federal programs to improve the water supply systems of the population of the republic is described.

Земский врач: попытка исторической реконструкции (на примере Пермской губернии второй половины XIX – начала XX века

The authors set themselves a research task - to create a generalizing image of the zemstvo doctor on the example of the Urals. The initial hypothesis is the idea of civilizational changes in the Russian reality of the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries, associated with the formation of elements of civil society and the underlying processes of changes in the self-consciousness of the Russian intelligentsia. The uniqueness of the phenomenon of the "zemsky doctor" in the history of world medicine is emphasized, its role in preserving the life of the rural population of the country, the formation of a new attitude to sanitation issues and personal hygiene. It is noted that the level of professional training of the zemsky doctorwas provided by a high level of medical education in the leading universities of the country. The peculiarity of their activity was the universality associated with the insufficient number of medical personnel in rural areas. By the beginning of the XX century the trend towards the creation of specialized medical care is making its way. This process was especially clearly manifested in the provincial Alexander Zemsky hospital, and then seized the district city hospitals and individual centers of factory medicine. The desire of doctors for professional association, regular exchange of experience through professional societies, provincial congresses of doctors, at meetings of medical and sanitary councils, as well as on the basis of the results of scientific association, regular exchange of experience through professional societies, provincial congresses of doctors, at meetings of medical and sanitary councils, as well as on the basis of the results of scientific scientific councils, as well as on the results of scientific scientific councils, as well as on the results of academic trip. An analysis of objective difficulties in the activities of zemskie doctors, their relations with the local population, the leadership of zemskie institutions is given. The author's vision of the causes of selflessness and stoic patience to the social conditions of life of zemskie doctors is revealed. Attention is drawn to their active participation in public life, often as initiators of public events in their territories, the establishment of trusting relations with the population on the example of combating child mortality, the work of sanitary and school guardianships, children's shelters, the dissemination of hygienic knowledge, etc. The merits of zemskie doctors in the organizational life of zemstva are reflected, their role in the political events of that time, the organization of medical care for wounded and sick soldiers during the First World War are evaluated. In conclusion, reasonable conclusions are made about the characteristic features of the typical appearance of zemskie doctors, prospects for further study of this topic are outlined.

Access to water and sanitation in brazilian regions

The lack of urban planning combined with the disorderly occupation of large urban centers results in the lack of sanitation services. This condition generates harmful impacts on social well-being and natural resources. The water crisis in Brazilian regions imposed by the serious pollution of water bodies triggers a series of conflicts related to water scarcity and multiple uses. The present study aims to verify the consequences in the generation of diseases in the face of sanitation conditions in Brazilian regions. The method used in this work is descriptive with a qualitative approach. Indicators related to the share of the population with access to water and sewage collection and hospitalizations due to waterborne diseases in the Brazilian regions were analyzed. The sanitation indicators are intended to measure the impacts generated and provide information that can help in the management and sustainable use of water resources in order to establish priority actions for public policies. As a result, it is observed that the issue of universal sanitation that emerges from this discussion should be of interest to the national policy agenda, considering the negative externalities arising from the lack of this service. This argument is based on promoting the dignity of human life as advocated by the 2030 Agenda. It is important to highlight the implications of the precariousness of access to water and sanitation in the context of productive activities and income generation, since the health of workers in the regions most deprived of these services tends to be precarious.

System-wide approaches to mitigate environmental and health impacts of water contamination

Abstract There is an urgent need to address the challenges of inadequate safe water and proper sanitation in peri-urban communities in low-income countries. Agencies have tended to focus on a single aspect of the challenge for service delivery, which ultimately fails to capture the full scope of the problem. In this study, 63 household surveys and 15 key informant interviews regarding water and sanitation issues were conducted in a peri-urban area of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Results revealed that 87% of households experience water scarcity issues. More than 50% of the homes were surrounded by swampy areas with sewage and stagnant pools, with 40% reporting water source contamination due to seepage and overflowing of sewage collection systems. Key informants reported water scarcity and poor water quality due to poor sanitation practices and a compromised water supply network. We found that a highly integrated approach that invests in cultural, social, political, human, financial, and built community capitals is needed to address these challenges. Community self-efficacy and empowerment will be critical to accomplishing this and protecting public health.

Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, Brazil.

Public toilets are essential infrastructure to guarantee the right to sanitation in public spaces and, in more general terms, the right to inclusive and sustainable cities. Moreover, since the equipment has a direct user interface, it is important to understand their demands and needs. Given this, the present research aims to understand the perspective of public toilet users on the Pampulha Lake Shore (PLS), a public touristic place in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. For that, observations and semi-structured interviews were carried out with different public toilet users. In addition, comments posted on the Google Local Guides tool of Google Maps were used as a secondary database for understanding users' experience of PLS toilets. The analysis made it possible to identify aspects related to availability, quality (health and hygiene), security, and accessibility. Collected data showed how the conflicting choice of whether or not to use the toilet was directly related to the health and conservation of the urban equipment and interfered with social and leisure prospects. On the whole, the importance of the user's perspective was highlighted in this study with emphasis on elaborating adequate urban planning with regard to health, sanitation, and accessibility issues.

Environmental contamination with parasites in selected rural farms in the Philippines: impacts of farming practices on leafy greens food safety.

Fresh vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, however, they can also be agents of transmission of intestinal parasites. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of parasite contamination in vegetable farms as a source of transmission in selected rural communities in Laguna, Philippines. A total of 168 vegetable, 55 soil and 15 water samples collected from four selected farms and a reference farm were processed through various standard parasitological techniques. Of these, 17.3% of vegetables, 47.3% soil and 73.3% water samples were found contaminated with parasites’ eggs or cysts. Interestingly, leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, were found to be more contaminated. Results showed that strongylids/hookworms (egg/larva) showed the highest prevalence in farm soil (38.2%) and vegetable (13.1%); other helminth parasite eggs were also recovered such as Toxocara sp., Ascaris sp., Trichiuris, Trichostrongylus sp. and protozoan cysts of Balantidium coli. Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts of and Giardia sp. cysts were observed in all water samples in the farms. Furthermore, results revealed that some farming practices such as the use of improperly treated animals manure as fertilizers, unhygienic practice of farmers and sanitation issues were factors that contribute to parasite contamination in the farms. These findings have implications on food safety in poor-resource communities posing public health risks. Recommendations were discussed in the study for the control and prevention of parasite contamination at the farm level.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemics on urinary metabolites in kidney stone patients: our kidney stone prevention clinic experience

BackgroundThe dietary habits and lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic could affect the urinary risk factors in kidney stone formers. In this study, we investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on 24-h urine metabolites, as a surrogate for dietary intake, in patients with kidney stones, in Tehran, Iran.MethodsWe evaluated the medical records of all patients with urolithiasis who visited in our stone prevention clinic from the beginning of COVID-19 in Iran to 1 year later (Feb 2020–Feb 2021) and compared it with the patients’ medical records in the same period a year before COVID-19 (Feb 2019–Feb 2020).ResultsThe results of our stone prevention clinic showed a decrease in the number of visits during COVID-19. Twenty-four-hour urine urea, sodium, and potassium were significantly lower, and 24-h urine magnesium was significantly higher during COVID-19. Higher 24-h urine oxalate was only shown in patients with the first-time visit, whereas lower 24-h urine uric acid and citrate were only shown in patients with the follow-up visits.ConclusionsCOVID-19 pandemics may change some of the dietary habits of the patients, including lower salt, protein, and fruit and vegetable intake. Although economic issues, restricted access, or sanitation issues may be the reason for the undesirable dietary changes, the importance of a quality diet should be discussed with all patients, as possible. Since the number of patients visited in the stone clinic was lower during COVID-19, virtual visits could be an excellent alternative to motivate patients with kidney stones.

Prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among Dayak children in rural areas of Sarawak, Malaysia

Background: Undernutrition among children has become a major public health issue due to the high risk of morbidity and mortality involving this vulnerable age group. This study focused on the rural population, especially among the Dayak children in Sarawak, Malaysia. Methodology: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Sarawak’s rural areas using a multistage stratified cluster sampling technique. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using an interviewer-guided questionnaire. The nutritional status of the under-five children was measured according to the World Health Organization guidelines. The nutritional indicators were calculated as z-scores. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS to identify the factors associated with nutritional status. Results: The prevalence of undernutrition among the under-five Dayak children in the rural areas of Sarawak was 39.6%. The analysis suggested that wasting was predominantly associated with parental education levels of primary and below, poor wealth index, environmental and sanitation issues, children with history of low birth weight, shorter duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and poor appetite. Stunting was high within the age group of <3 years old and was associated with parents’ occupation and household wealth index. Low parental education, poor wealth index, environmental and sanitation issues, poor appetite, and the children’s recent illness predicted underweight. Conclusion: These findings imply that a multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional approach is essential to address undernutrition in rural settings. Improvement on households’ socioeconomy, environment and sanitation should be emphasised to reduce undernutrition among the children.

Study on Willingness to Pay and Impact Mechanism of Gutter Oil Treatment: Taking Urban Residents in Sichuan Province as an Example.

“Gutter oil” is a term for the practice of recycling used waste oil from restaurant fryers, sinks, and even slaughterhouses and sewers, and has been a major food safety and sanitation issue in China for many years. However, with proper treatment, these issues can be mitigated, turning large amounts of waste product into valuable resources and conserving energy resources. Based on this questionnaire survey conducted in the cities of Chengdu and Mianyang in Sichuan, China, this paper uses the value evaluation method to measure urban residents’ willingness to pay for the treatment of gutter oil, and explores the factors and path influencing residents’ willingness to pay based on the extended theory of planned behavior. The results of this study affirms the validity and universality of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Behavioral attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms have a direct positive impact on their willingness to pay. Risk perception and past experience indirectly affect residents’ willingness to pay for gutter oil through the intermediary variable of behavioral attitude, which means that the public’s risk awareness can be improved by vigorously publicizing the harmful effects of gutter oil, thereby also increasing acceptance toward gutter oil treatment. As an intermediary variable, subjective norms have a significant indirect effect on the impact path of past experience on willingness to pay, which reflects the significant influence of subjective norms such as reference group and environment. The results show that urban residents have a higher willingness to pay for the treatment of gutter oil. The mean willingness to pay is 7.75 RMB per month per capita.

The Socio-technical Adoption of Dry Toilets at a Public University in Mexico City (prototype)

This paper reports the findings of a two-year project on the relationship between a university community and its sanitation issues, the potential benefits of decentralized urban sanitation, and methods for transforming university culture regarding these topics. Using a public university in Mexico City as a case study, the research included three phases: diagnosis, training, and promotion; design and building a dry toilet prototype; and evaluation. The phases were facilitated through interdisciplinary participatory methodologies. Our approach achieved a significant socio-technical transformation. We also discovered great interest in alternative sanitation systems within Mexico City. This research may help inform interdisciplinary and participatory interventions involving these systems.

Preface

It is my great pleasure to grace all of your presence to the 6th ICSBE 2021 virtually. The International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment is bi-annual conference started from 2010 till now. At first, the 6th ICSBE was scheduled in 2020 however, the COVID-19 pandemic altered all of our life order including this conference that have to be postponed into 2021 and conducted virtually. This conference is held for 2 days in 19 – 20 October 2021 conducted in Faculty of Civil and Planning Engineering, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta-Indonesia.The main theme of the 6th ICSBE 2021 is “sustainable infrastructure and environment for the smart cities”. This theme was dedicated to discuss and deliver an implementable solution to address the issues of urban planning, transport systems, water and sanitation, waste management, disaster risk reduction, access information, education, and capacity-building. Therefore, it is important to mapping, planning and designing a sustainable environment and infrastructure that may greatly encounter and reduce those issues above to reach the sustainable development goals. Based on this, this conference focuses the following topics but not limited to livable rural and urban environment, green infrastructure, sustainable resource management, sustainable city and disaster management.In this conference, we received more than 80 papers at the beginning, which were covering in five topics. All the submitted papers were reviewed by peer to peer and double blind with two reviewers. The 6th ICSBE highly applied strong and accurate review process prior to be published in the IOP conference proceeding indexed Scopus in the series of Earth Environmental Science (EES). Finally, we are accepting 50 papers to be presented in this conference. The conference model is plenary session and parallel session which is held for 2 days. In the plenary session, there are 3 invited speakers for the 1st day and 2nd day. Each invited speakers are allowed to give presentation for 30 minutes. The question answer is given after all invited speakers finished their presentation for 40 minutes. In the parallel session, there are 5 subtopics delivered in 2 days. In the 1st day, 3 subtopics: Green Infrastructure, Sustainable Resource Management, and Sustainable City are delivered. There are 26 presenters delivered their paper. In the 2nd day, 2 subtopics: Disaster Management, and Livable Rural and Urban Environment, are delivered. There 24 presenters delivered their paper. Each presenters have 12 minutes to give presentation and 3 minutes for question and answer. All the conference presentation is delivered by using zoom technology belongs to Universitas Islam Indonesia with 1000 capacity of participants. This conference is participated by audience from Indonesia, Turkey, Japan, USA, Malaysia, and Germany.The 6th ICSBE 2021 is organized by the faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning, Universitas Islam Indonesia and supported by partner universities; Gifu University (Japan), University of Malaya (Malaysia), University of Rhode Island (USA), National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan), University of Boras (Sweden), University Hawaii at Manoa (USA), Hokkaido University (Japan), Alanya Alaaddin Kaykubat University (Turkey), Behaus-Universitaet Weimar (Germany), National University of Singapore (Singapore), and other international institutesLast but not least, I would express our sincere gratitude to the keynote speaker: The Governor of Jakarta, Anies Rasyid Baswedan, Ph.D, to the the invited speakers Prof. Nobouto Nojima, Prof. Noor Cholis Idham, Prof. Frank Eckardt, Asso. Prof. Anita Petterson, Assoc. Prof. Anita Pettersson, and Prof. NG How Yong, and as well as all participants for joining and sharing of idea, knowledge, and friendship in a relatxing environment. And, the most important, I would to sincere and great appreciation to the organizing committee, editors, scientific committee, and reviewers for all their solidity, harmony, and synergy work. We do hope all participants are going to enjoy the conference in terms of both its academic and social atmosphere. Dr. Joni Aldilla Fajri, ST., M. Eng.Chairperson ofThe 6th International Conference on Sustainable Built EnvironmentYogyakarta, October 15th, 2021List of Organizing Committee are available in this pdf.

Sewage Markers as Determinants to Differentiate Origins of Emerging Organic Pollutants in an Urban Sri Lankan Water Drainage Network

Urban sanitation is a major challenge during the rapid urbanization being experienced by developing countries, as a low sewerage infrastructure capacity and irregular onsite wastewater treatment raise the risk of surface water contamination. The application of specific sewage markers to characterize contaminant sources is therefore essential for managing urban sanitation issues. In this study, we investigated the concentrations of eight sewage markers (acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, cotinine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfapyridine, atenolol, and acesulfame) in various water sources within urban area of the Galle City, Sri Lanka. The total concentration of the eight markers was in the order of hospital discharge > sewage treatment plant (STP) influent > surface drainage system. Among the eight selected markers, acetaminophen was dominant in hospital discharge (70.2–123.6 µg/L) while caffeine was the largest contributor to STP influent (16.2–68.7 µg/L) and surface drainage (0.95–21.73 µg/L). We then proposed and tested a set of criteria for evaluating the applicability of markers, including removal efficiency, concentration magnitude, excretion rate, and wastewater burden. The labile markers caffeine and acetaminophen were suitable for characterizing domestic gray and black wastewater, respectively. These results imply that the city’s drainage system receives both domestic graywater and human excretion, likely due to insufficient on-site sanitation systems. The conservative marker carbamazepine was useful for tracking hospital residues over long distances; these results imply that hospital wastewater treatment was not working properly, accounting for pharmaceutical residues reaching surface water via a hidden discharges connected to the drainage system.

Indian migrant workers and global city Singapore: What determines the preference for and (relative) cost of a migration destination?

Global city ambitions and associated cosmopolitan aspirations are principally oriented towards attracting highly skilled migrants who are offered the opportunity of permanent residency. In contrast, low-skilled migrants increasingly face issues of segregation and sanitation, being housed in dormitories far from the city centre, often explained as an attempt to ‘decongest’ the city. That these migrants are not considered part of the aspired cosmopolitan gloss that global cities like to associate themselves with is furthermore underscored by their status as permanently temporary with no option to stay-on beyond a maximum number of years. This article challenges the inherent assumption that low-skilled migrants’ choice for a particularly migration destination is only motivated by monetary reasons. It does so by drawing on two distinct research projects: the first among migration agents in Chennai (Tamil Nadu, India), the second among variously skilled migrants from India in Singapore. By doing so, the article explicates that not only the cost of formalities, agency fees and travel contribute to how expensive it is to migrate to a particular destination (e.g. the Gulf, Malaysia or Singapore) but also its brand value, mainly determined by its assumed quality of life outside work. This brand value speaks to both low- and highly skilled workers, although in different ways.

Features and Applications of Urine Stabilization Methods: A Review

The recovery of nutrients from unconventional water such as domestic sewage is considered as a sustainable solution to environmental sanitation, personal hygiene, water, and food safety issues. Source separation of urine and the sequenced treatment techniques are the promising approaches to recover the resources from this unconventional water. However, in the storage of urine, urea is hydrolyzed under the action of urease, resulting in odor, precipitation and the loss of ammonia, which is a challenge to be overcome in the process of urine recycling. This review collates research related to urine stabilization, and aims to summarize the characteristics and applications of existing urine stabilization methods, such as acidification, alkalization, electrochemistry, inhibitors and etc. Overall, acidification and alkalization have higher dosage requirements and have an attentional impact on the environment; electrochemical technology is suitable for decentralized sanitation facilities, but the inhibition duration is short; inhibitors are the least effective and are usually used to regulate urease activities in soil environment rather than for urine stabilization. Choosing the appropriate approaches of urine stabilization should focus on the overall perspective of urine resource utilization, consider the separation method and recovery form, and combine it with the concentration technology.

Drinking Water Practices, Quality and GIT Disturbances at Household Level in Rural Setting of Wardha District, Maharashtra, India

Introduction: Limited availability of safe drinking water and poor sanitation can lead to water borne diseases. In India, alone waterborne diseases are projected to have an economic burden of approximately USD 600 million a year. Rural population face water, sanitation, and hygiene-related health issues. In India, many programs are running since decades, but there is need to understand current scenario of drinking water practices in the community.
 Objectives: To assess the drinking water practices, purification methods, drinking water quality at household level and Gastrointestinal GIT disturbances among the visited household.
 Methods: This community based cross-sectional study was conducted during July-December 2019 in purposively selected three villages of field practice area JNMC, Wardha. Sample size is calculated to be 96 household and rounded up to 100 for each village (total 300 household). Households of Village A, B, and C are 392, 388 and 381 respectively. 100 household were selected by systematic random sampling method. Information was collected by interviewing adult at home after verbal consent by using Pre-structured, pre-tested questionnaire. Randomly ten water samples from each village tested for quality.
 Results: Most of the household i.e. 80% have water source in their premises into dwelling (47%) or own yard (32%). Overall 61% of the household had adopted purification method. Village-wise distribution for adoption of purification methods, it is found significantly highest in village C and lowest in A (X2 -8.54, p=0.013). On an average 25% of the household reported that family members were suffered from gastrointestinal disturbances. Village-wise distribution for GIT disturbances cases, it is found significantly highest in village A and lowest in C (X2-19.25, p=0.0001). Most common purification method is filtration by using cloth or net by 41%. Total 76.67% water samples were contaminated.
 Conclusion: Village which shows higher percentage of HH adopted purification method suffered less from GIT disturbances. Most of water samples were unsafe for drinking purpose. Hence community can be aware through an integrated approach such as Village, health sanitation and nutrition committee can be strengthened.

A Review of Alternative Management Tactics Employed for the Control of Various Cockroach Species (Order: Blattodea) in the USA.

Simple SummarySome cockroaches that live within and around human environments are considered pests of public health importance because they can carry and transfer human pathogenic microorganisms to food and food handling surfaces; infestations could result in cockroach allergen-induced allergic sensitization and asthma in sensitized individuals. In addition, cockroaches can cause psychological stress and stigma in people living in infested locations. Historically, cockroach control has been based on the use of insecticide sprays. However, in certain situations, sole dependence on insecticides for cockroach control can lead to issues such as pesticide resistance evolution and raises public concern due to the impact on the environment and human health. To overcome these problems, the use of reduced risk insecticide options (e.g., baits) and their combined use with alternative tactics is recommended. This review aims to examine alternative tactics used for cockroach control, with emphasis on those that are proven to be efficacious, and/or have potential for their incorporation in management programs of important domestic and peridomestic cockroaches in the USA. Remarkable examples of successful cockroach control programs are those that educate the public, promote cleanliness and hygiene, use traps to monitor infestation levels and utilize insecticide baits.Effective control of domestic and peridomestic cockroaches requires integrated approaches that emphasize concurrent use of chemicals with alternative control tactics. An integrated pest management (IPM) approach is particularly justified in environments where satisfactory cockroach control cannot be achieved due to multiple factors including development of insecticide aversion and resistance in some cockroach species, and poor sanitation or structural issues that foster infestations. While a flurry of research effort has been devoted to study alternative tactics for cockroach control, only a few of them have been evaluated in the context of IPM programs. This review focuses on examining studies on alternative tactics that are proven efficacious, economical, and logistically feasible for their inclusion in IPM programs for important domestic and peridomestic cockroaches in the USA. Management programs that educate the public on cockroach biology, behavior, and the importance of sanitation; use of traps to monitor infestation levels; apply targeted low impact insecticides such as baits, have demonstrated a greater success for effective and sustainable control of cockroaches when compared to an insecticide-only approach. Incorporation of other alternative control methods to IPM programs will require more applied research that validates their use in real-world scenarios and demonstrates their cost-effectiveness.

Therapy Dogs in Educational Settings: Guidelines and Recommendations for Implementation.

Therapy dogs in educational settings have gained increase traction in recent years. Despite its potential benefits and popularity, there remain concerns of perceived risks such as sanitation, allergies, and safety issues, as well as a lack of guidelines, regulations and support resources available to school staff. Research is further lacking into the implementation process of therapy dog programs in educational settings. To construct a set of recommendations for school staff to achieve successful implementation of a therapy dog program, the present study investigated the perceived facilitative and impeding factors when implementing a therapy dog program. A total of 13 school staff and 2 coordinators from therapy dog organisations took part in an open-ended online survey and/or a semi-structured interview over the phone, with the aim of gathering their perspectives of implementing a therapy dog program in schools. The thematic analysis of the data indicated facilitative factors such as program flexibility, whole-school support, the need for communication and training for all staff, as well as dog welfare. Successful implementation of therapy dogs in an education setting appear to revolve around (1) flexibility of the dog therapy program to target school's needs, (2) qualities of program instigator, (3) whole-school support, (4) communication, training and education, (5) considerations for dog's welfare. Key barriers identified included a high workload, lack of guidelines on processes, lack of support from the school community, as well as the need for better understanding of the role of a therapy dog. The results highlighted the importance of a whole-school effort when implementing a therapy dog program, as well as the need for guidelines for assessing school readiness, key factors for consideration, and strategies to overcome challenges associated with program implementation.

Challenges facing sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene achievement in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT Better water supply, sanitation and hygiene systems are among the sustainable development goals which need to be achieved by 2030. However, it is challenging for developing countries especially sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sustainable sanitation and hygiene. Thus, a systematic review has been conducted to provide a deep discussion of the current and previous works on challenges facing sanitation and hygiene sector in SSA countries. The results indicate that lack of financial resources, rapid population increase, socioeconomic disparities among the urban inhabitants, topography, lack of skilled, and experienced personnel, inadequate policies and strategies, and people’s behaviours and attitudes were identified as the main constraints to sustainable sanitation and hygiene in SSA. Moreover, it recommended that SSA countries can achieve sustainable sanitation and hygiene if there are political commitments, an increase of education and awareness on sanitation to the community, and cooperation among the government, non-government organisations, civil societies, and communities in addressing the issues of sanitation. These efforts will lead to enhanced and improved sanitation and hygiene services in the SSA region.

Recent Development of Non-Contact Multi-Target Vital Sign Detection and Location Tracking Based on Metamaterial Leaky Wave Antennas.

Microwave radar sensors have been developed for non-contact monitoring of the health condition and location of targets, which will cause minimal discomfort and eliminate sanitation issues, especially in a pandemic situation. To this end, several radar sensor architectures and algorithms have been proposed to detect multiple targets at different locations. Traditionally, beamforming techniques incorporating phase shifters or mechanical rotors are utilized, which is relatively complex and costly. On the other hand, metamaterial (MTM) leaky wave antennas (LWAs) have a unique property of launching waves of different spectral components in different directions. This feature can be utilized to detect multiple targets at different locations to obtain their healthcare and location information accurately, without complex structure and high cost. To this end, this paper reviews the recent development of MTM LWA-based radar sensor architectures for vital sign detection and location tracking. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of MTM vital sign radar compared with different radar sensor architectures.

The Role Print Media Coverage in Promoting ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' A study with reference to leading newspapers in Rajasthan

The media plays a significant role in our lives by informing us about the happenings across the world and shaping our opinions on various issues. In this context, different forms of media have distinct utility in the dissemination of news and other important information. Print media is one of the most powerful and omnipresent tools for spreading information to a vast number of people in a cost-effective manner. The impact of the written word has never been underestimated and it remains a strong medium of communication and conversation. It is worth noting that reading written information leaves a long-lasting and deep impact on individuals and helps guide their views on a subject. Therefore, print media is of great significance in conveying information to different sections of the society and understanding their opinions which, in turn, has an impact on policy making.
 This study is aimed at ascertaining and analysing the role of print media in spreading awareness on the issues of cleanliness and sanitation amongst the people of India. In this context, the study involves the analysis of news-related data of two leading national newspapers, namely ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ and ‘Rajasthan Patrika’. The overall levels of cleanliness in India are alarmingly low with minimal facilities for disposal of waste which is a major challenge for many people. Although there have been several programmes and campaigns drafted and launched by the government of India to improve the mechanisms of waste disposal and enhance the cleanliness levels across the country, the issue of waste management remains a persistent problem for most Indians.
 Furthermore, the research methodology adopted for the study is 'Content Analysis’ which is an appropriate technique to analyse the contents of national English dailys. The study is focused on assessing the level of importance that the aforementioned newspapers have assigned to news related to cleanliness and sanitation issues. In this context, the findings of the study have revealed that both the newspapers have provided due significance to the aforementioned issues in their news coverage.