Rural and peri-urban households' handwashing behaviour before the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for managing it in North-western Ghana

Good hygiene and handwashing remain important in public health, particularly in localities with low or no basic water and sanitation facilities. Using the Integrated Behavioural Model for water and hygiene, this study analysed key factors that shape handwashing behaviour and practices and the implications for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted using 20 rural and peri-urban communities in Ghana. Data gathered from 332 households and 20 focus group discussions indicated respondents have considerable knowledge of the significance of effective handwashing with soap, especially at critical moments. Although the practice of handwashing has been promoted in all the study communities, none of the households had a handwashing station. The respondents however argued that the absence of a handwashing station does not imply they do not wash their hands, especially at critical moments. Access to water, ability to buy soap, gender, and long hours of staying on distant farms shaped handwashing behaviour and practices. Although the study was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings have substantial implications for the fight against the pandemic. Given that households are knowledgeable of the importance of handwashing, re-iterating the practice and intensifying advocacy on behavioural change, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic will reinvigorate handwashing.Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Condition of water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) in Ghana's basic schools: Empirical evidence from Wa municipality

Access to functional water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) systems is a necessity for safe health and a fundamental determinant of human well-being. As a result, constant monitoring, tracking and bridging of the gaps in access to WaSH is a global public health requirement. Developing countries are currently disadvantaged in this era of the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly in the area of school-based WaSH. This study assesses the present condition and challenges hindering access to school-based WaSH in the Wa Municipality. Primary data involving 145 health teachers were sourced using survey questionnaires and supported with ocular assessment. Results show that basic schools in the Wa Municipality currently have in place some sort of WaSH facilities, thereby meeting the availability criteria to a large extent. However, these schools do not meet the remaining standards – functionality, accessibility, maintenance and quality of services, education and prac-tices. The major factors affecting the sustainable operationalisation of the school-based WaSH are poor maintenance and inadequate funding of WaSH infrastructure. The school-based WaSH in Ghana requires rapt policy attention if the quest to attain Sustainable Development Goal 6 by 2030 is to be achieved. © 2023 The Authors.

Back to basics: urban households’ perspective on free water supply in Ghana in the COVID-19 pandemic

Water supply is a basic human right and governments have sought to fulfil this right through free supply of water. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed governments, including the Government of Ghana, to return to supply of free water as a measure of enhancing personal hygiene in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to analyse the reliability of water supply before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of households’ water consumption during the pandemic. The paper is based on an online survey of 4,257 urban households across the 16 administrative regions of Ghana. The study found that flow reliability has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic free water delivery. We also established that correlation between consumption before and during the pandemic was r = 0.659, p < 0.01. Therefore, use of the ‘stay home campaign’ as a strategy to contain the disease in addition to social connection and sharing free water, have increased domestic water consumption. Although the pandemic necessitated the return to water being delivered as a basic necessity to fight against the pandemic, the emphasis on ‘back to basics’ was not fully implemented. This is because some urban households that could not pay water bills prior to the free water supply were denied the COVID-19 pandemic free water package and rural households who relied on point sources also did not benefit from the package. © The authors, 2022.

Hand hygiene and safety behaviours at shopping centres in COVID-19: an observation in Wa township in Ghana

This study observed hand hygiene and safety behaviours of shoppers and shop keepers with respect to COVID-19 safety protocols in shopping centres in Wa, a business centre in North-western Ghana. Based on the theory of planned behaviour, the behaviours of 751 customers of 50 shops with handwashing facilities were observed from April to June 2020. It was observed that adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols at shopping centres was very poor. Although the shops observed provided handwashing facilities, 91.3% of the customers did not practise handwashing before entering the shops. Also, 84.2% of them did not wear mouth-and-nose masks during shopping. Similarly, for 78% of the shops observed, no shop attendant wore a mask. Despite the provision of handwashing facilities and widespread advocacy to minimise the infection of COVID-19, the citizenry, especially the youth, demonstrate a poor attitude towards safety measures. Non-adherence to COVID-19 protocols was higher in shops where there was no pressure to conform to the protocols. The findings, amidst the increasing number of infections, suggest that attitude and perceived behavioural control are critical to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and, as such, could be good entry points for behavioural interventions.