Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Related Diseases in Schools in Rwanda

Poor water supply, lack of adequate sanitation, and bad hygiene practices with attendant diseases are killing many people each year in developing countries, and children under the age of five are the most vulnerable. The research assessed students¿ hygiene attitudes and practices, sanitation practices, knowledge on related diseases, knowledge on sources of clean water, and knowledge on causes and prevention of selected WASH related diseases. The study also investigated water availability for drinking and sanitation, and sanitation facilities in schools. A total of 1173 students were selected from a population of 2900 students for the survey. Six teachers and six school directors also participated in the survey.Respondents were selected from three rural and three urban schools. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).