ABSTRACT
Objective To know the current status of the household lavatories in the countryside of Guangxi Province, China and to present the scientific data for the government to make decision in the lavatory improvement in the countryside. Methods A stratified cluster sampling was used in the investigation and 2 414 peasant households in 241 villages were selected in 2006. Results The popularization rate of sanitary lavatory was 43.79% and 50.95% of the peasant households used the non-sanitary lavatory, 5.26% had no household lavatory. The main types of the sanitary lavatories used in the investigated area were firedamp tank-like and three-case-cesspool, accounted for 50.14% and 33.96% respectively. The rate of dejecta treatment for the non-sanitary lavatories was only 13.74%. As the money spent on the sanitary lavatory in each household was no less than 810 Yuan (RMB), maybe the popularization rate of the sanitary household lavatory could reach 50%. Conclusion Although the popularization rate of sanitary household lavatory in the countryside of Guangxi province significantly increased in recent years, it still does not fulfill the requirement for controlling the intestinal infectious diseases and parasitism in this area.