Center for Health Studies, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala City 01015, Guatemala.
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Oct 13;20(20):6914. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20206914.
Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in schools are essential to reduce infectious disease transmission, including that of COVID-19. This study aimed to establish a baseline of WASH services in six public elementary schools in Guatemala, with a focus on hand hygiene. We used the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report indicators to assess the WASH infrastructure at each school. We collected water samples from easily accessible water points (pilas, or bathroom sinks) at each school to test for the presence of total coliforms and . In-depth interviews were carried out with teachers to understand hand hygiene practices and systems at school. Results indicate that all schools had water available at the time of the survey. All water samples at four schools tested positive for total coliforms and at one school, positive for . All schools had sanitation facilities, but services were limited. Only 43% of handwashing stations at schools had soap available. No school had disability-inclusive WASH services. Financial constraints and a lack of appropriate WASH infrastructure were the main barriers reported by teachers to meet hand hygiene needs at school. Appropriate access to WASH infrastructure and supplies could increase hand hygiene practices and improve learning conditions for students.
学校的水、环境卫生和个人卫生（WASH）服务对于减少传染病的传播至关重要，包括 COVID-19。本研究旨在危地马拉六所公立小学建立 WASH 服务的基线，重点关注手部卫生。我们使用世界卫生组织/联合国儿童基金会联合监测规划（JMP）报告指标评估每所学校的 WASH 基础设施。我们从每所学校容易到达的水点（水池或浴室水槽）收集水样，以测试总大肠菌群和的存在情况。我们对教师进行了深入访谈，以了解学校的手部卫生实践和系统。结果表明，所有学校在调查时都有供水。四所学校的所有水样均检测出总大肠菌群阳性，一所学校的水样检测出阳性。所有学校都有卫生设施，但服务有限。只有 43%的学校洗手站有肥皂供应。没有学校提供残疾包容性 WASH 服务。教师报告说，资金限制和缺乏适当的 WASH 基础设施是满足学校手部卫生需求的主要障碍。适当的 WASH 基础设施和用品的获取可以增加手部卫生实践，并改善学生的学习条件。
