Knowledge and Practices on Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Waterborne Diseases among under-Five Children in Temeke District, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

This study assessed the knowledge and practice of 220 respondents from three wards of Tanzania's Temeke Municipality regarding water, sanitation, hygiene, and water-borne diseases. The study used a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from the household survey with qualitative data from key informant interviews. The quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, while the qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The results showed that the majority of respondents rely on public water sources (i.e. 40% on public taps and 36.9% on public water kiosk and of them all, only 16% of people boil their water before drinking. Furthermore, respondents recognised the importance of hand-washing during critical times. Only 31.7% and 72.6% use soap to wash their hands before and after meals, respectively. Based on respondents’ self reporting, diarrhoea was among the widely known WASH incidence (10.5%). Other mentioned incidences were cholera (8.2%) and typhoid (2.3%) and they were mainly affecting the under-five children (14.5%). The study concludes that respondents have a satisfactory understanding of sanitation and hygiene, though their practices remain disappointing. According to the study, any efforts to improve access to sanitation and hygiene must be combined with strategies to promote effective use of these services.