Acklin Matthias, Graham Jay, Benjamin-Chung Jade
ETH Zurich.
University of California, Berkeley.
Res Sq. 2024 Oct 15:rs.3.rs-4473983. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4473983/v1.
Housing conditions are intrinsically linked to human health, with inadequate housing potentially increasing exposure to environmentally mediated pathogens. Housing interventions that aim to improve housing and reduce environmentally mediated infections, such as finished floors and housing upgrades for vector-borne diseases, remain relatively under-explored as health interventions. This study explored facilitators of and barriers to funding, implementing, and scaling up housing improvements as health interventions to reduce environmentally mediated infectious diseases.
Sixteen key informants (KIs) with direct experience in implementing or working within housing interventions and environmentally mediated infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. KIs had diverse backgrounds, including academics researching housing interventions, housing policy advisors, and practitioners implementing housing interventions. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify key themes in interview transcripts, highlighting patterns, commonalities, and variations in participants' responses.
KIs emphasized the multi-dimensional impacts of housing interventions that are intrinsically linked to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including physical and mental health, as well as environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Moreover, a pronounced shortage of funding and financial systems to address housing interventions was highlighted, alongside the urgent need for more rigorous evidence and cost-benefit analyses. Furthermore, the imperative to raise awareness of the significance of housing and the critical importance of strong collaboration across sectors and stakeholders were stressed. Emphasizing the necessity for project-based and context-specific housing policies, the interviews revealed that contextualizing interventions to their specific setting and fostering community involvement are essential for successful implementation and scale-up.
Housing interventions play a pivotal role in mitigating environmentally mediated diseases. These interventions can complement existing strategies like water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions, ensuring comprehensive approaches to healthy housing and sustainable development goals amidst climate change.
住房条件与人类健康有着内在联系，住房条件不佳可能会增加接触环境介导病原体的机会。旨在改善住房并减少环境介导感染的住房干预措施，如铺设完工的地板和针对媒介传播疾病的住房升级，作为健康干预措施仍相对未得到充分探索。本研究探讨了将住房改善作为减少环境介导传染病的健康干预措施在资金筹集、实施和扩大规模方面的促进因素和障碍。
采用半结构化访谈形式，对16名在低收入和中等收入国家实施住房干预措施或从事环境介导传染病工作的关键信息提供者（KIs）进行了访谈。KIs背景多样，包括研究住房干预措施的学者、住房政策顾问以及实施住房干预措施的从业者。采用主题分析方法确定访谈记录中的关键主题，突出参与者回答中的模式、共性和差异。
关键信息提供者强调了住房干预措施与可持续发展目标（SDGs）内在相关的多维度影响，包括身心健康以及环境、社会和经济层面。此外，突出了用于应对住房干预措施的资金和金融系统明显短缺的问题，同时迫切需要更严谨的证据和成本效益分析。此外，强调了提高对住房重要性的认识以及跨部门和利益相关者进行强有力合作的至关重要性。访谈强调了基于项目和因地制宜的住房政策的必要性，结果显示将干预措施因地制宜并促进社区参与对于成功实施和扩大规模至关重要。
住房干预措施在减轻环境介导疾病方面发挥着关键作用。这些干预措施可以补充水、环境卫生和个人卫生（WASH）干预等现有策略，确保在气候变化背景下实现健康住房和可持续发展目标的综合方法。
