Office of Global Health and HIV (OGHH)

Office of Overseas Programming & Training Support (OPATS)

WASH in SchoolsWater, Sanitation, and Hygiene Training Package

The Importance of WASH in Schools

Healthy habit formation The school as a model for

the community Children as agents of

change WASH and school

attendance

School WASH Matters! More than half of all primary schools in developing

countries have inadequate water facilities and nearly two-thirds lack single-gender bathrooms.1

Each year, children lose 443 million school days because of water-related illnesses,2

with 272 million lost due to diarrhea alone.3

More than 40 percent of diarrhea cases in schoolchildren result from transmission in schools rather than homes.4

Infections that children contract in schools will lead to infections among up to half of their household members.5

Elements of a WASH-Friendly School

Facilities– Latrines, hand-washing stations, clean drinking water

Teacher engagement – Lessons, school practices

Student engagement– WASH student clubs

Community engagement– School WASH committees

Four Key School WASH Practices

1. Hand-washing in Schools2. Water Treatment in Schools3. Improved Latrine Use in Schools4. Menstrual Hygiene Management in Schools

School WASH Survey Assesses: WASH facilities at school– Water supply– Sanitation facilities– Hand-washing facilities

Hygiene promotion activities– Teachers’ involvement– Maintenance of facilities– Regular cleaning of school– Community involvement for WASH

efforts

Jigsaw Activity

Group A -- Handout 3: Small Doable Actions for WASH in Schools

Group B -- Handout 4: Working with WASH Committees

Group C -- Handout 5: Working with WASH Clubs

Group D -- Handout 6: Ideas for WASH in Lesson Plans