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. 2023 Oct 13;20(20):6914.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20206914.

Assessment of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Conditions in Public Elementary Schools in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Michelle M Pieters  1 , Natalie Fahsen  1 , Christina Craig  2 , Ramiro Quezada  1 , Caroline Q Pratt  2   3 , Andrea Gomez  1 , Travis W Brown  2 , Alexandra Kossik  2 , Kelsey McDavid  2 , Denisse Vega Ocasio  2   3 , Matthew J Lozier  2 , Celia Cordón-Rosales  1
Affiliations

Assessment of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Conditions in Public Elementary Schools in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Michelle M Pieters et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

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 E. coli. 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 E. coli. 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.

Keywords: COVID-19; WASH infrastructure; hand hygiene; primary schools; students.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The findings and conclusions of this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of Guatemala showing study locations.
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