Sanitation, health and hygiene promotion

Lessons learnt worldwide show that in the promotion of health and hygiene, it is not enough to simply provide sanitation facilities, because if people do not use the available sanitation facilities properly, conditions do not improve or the sanitation system breaks down. The focus of this book is thus the extent to which health and hygiene promotion forms part of sanitation delivery programmes to informal settlements in the City of Cape Town, South Africa. The investigation was confined to a comparative review of approaches to health and hygiene promotion in four case study sites. Analysis of the case studies highlights the ineffectiveness of once-off awareness campaigns and the need for a more comprehensive approach to health and hygiene promotion in line with the Ottawa Charter. The push towards universal coverage of basic sanitation services will not bring the intended health benefits of delivery if, for instance, the provision of toilets is not complemented by appropriate health and hygiene promotion programmes. This book would be of interest to environmental and public health professionals.