692 पटक हेरिएको 
Background: WaterAid Nepal (WAN), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has triumphantly concluded the “Improvement of Hygiene Behaviours in Schools and Healthcare Facilities” project. This initiative, spanning from September 2021 to June 2024, was executed in 14 schools and 15 healthcare facilities across the municipalities of Kalyanpur, Karjanha, and Mirchaiya in Siraha, Nepal.
The project, which was closely coordinated with municipal bodies, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and the local NGO Bagmati Welfare Society Nepal (BWSN), aimed to address the critical lack of basic water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities—a challenge faced by a significant portion of Nepal’s population.
Project Overview: The project’s mission was to enhance hygiene practices to curb the spread of infectious diseases, a goal pursued through the implementation of pilot activities that established essential WASH infrastructures and promoted hygiene awareness. These efforts reached approximately 3,433 students and 81 healthcare facility staff, with the following key components driving the project:
- Construction and Renovation of WASH Facilities: A preliminary assessment identified the need for accessible and inclusive WASH infrastructures. Consequently, new facilities were constructed, and existing ones were renovated to bridge the service gaps in the participating schools and healthcare facilities.
- Hygiene Behaviour Change (HBC) Intervention: Through formative research, the project explored the motivations and obstacles influencing hygiene behaviours. This research informed the development of HBC packages, which were then refined and implemented. Teachers and healthcare staff received specialised training to facilitate engaging and creative hygiene sessions, ultimately delivering six HBC sessions over a six-month period, supplemented by visual aids and educational materials.
- Research and Impact Assessment: Following the handover of WASH facilities, the project conducted a baseline survey to evaluate existing hygiene behaviours, which was succeeded by HBC sessions and subsequent monitoring surveys. A cooling-off period allowed for the assessment of long-term behaviour changes, revealing a remarkable increase in handwashing practices among students—from 21% to 94%—and among healthcare staff—from 9% to 83%.
Major Achievements:
The project’s significant accomplishments include:
- Basic Inclusive WASH Facilities: The design and construction of child-friendly, gender-inclusive WASH facilities in 29 institutions, coupled with comprehensive training for caretakers, have contributed to the sustainability and functionality of these essential services.
- Behaviour-Centered Design (BCD): The project successfully tested the Assess, Build, Create, Deliver, and Evaluate (ABCDE) approach, validating this methodology as a guiding principle for similar initiatives.
- HBC Sessions: The HBC sessions led to substantial improvements in various hygiene behaviours, including handwashing at critical times, safe water consumption, food hygiene, toilet cleanliness, waste management, and menstrual hygiene management.
Conclusion: The project has demonstrated that strategic WASH interventions when paired with dynamic hygiene behaviour change promotion activities, can significantly elevate hygiene standards. The engagement of stakeholders throughout the assessment phase was instrumental in developing customised HBC packages and ensuring the longevity of the project’s impact. The success of this endeavour underscores the efficacy of data-driven strategies and sets a precedent for the replication of these interventions in other regions.
