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What Proportion Counts? Disaggregating Access to Safely Managed Sanitation in an Emerging Town in Tanzania

Author

Listed:
  • Hans C. Komakech

    (The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha 4222, Tanzania)

  • Francis Moyo

    (The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha 4222, Tanzania)

  • Oscar Veses Roda

    (School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

  • Revocatus L. Machunda

    (The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha 4222, Tanzania)

  • Kyla M. Smith

    (WaterAid, London SE11 5JD, UK)

  • Om P. Gautam

    (WaterAid, London SE11 5JD, UK)

  • Sandy Cairncross

    (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK)

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2 sets an ambitious target of leaving no-one without adequate and equitable sanitation by 2030. The key concern is the lack of local human and financial capital to fund the collection of reliable information to monitor progress towards the goal. As a result, national and local records may be telling a different story of the proportion of safely managed sanitation that counts towards achieving the SDG. This paper unveils such inconsistency in sanitation data generated by urban authorities and proposes a simple approach for collecting reliable and verifiable information on access to safely managed sanitation. The paper is based on a study conducted in Babati Town Council in Tanzania. Using a smartphone-based survey tool, city health officers were trained to map 17,383 housing units in the town. A housing unit may comprise of two or more households. The findings show that 5% practice open defecation, while 82% of the housing units have some form of sanitation. Despite the extensive coverage, only 31% of the fecal sludge generated is safely contained, while 64% is not. This study demonstrates the possibility of using simple survey tools to collect reliable data for monitoring progress towards safely managed sanitation in the towns of global South.

Suggested Citation

  • Hans C. Komakech & Francis Moyo & Oscar Veses Roda & Revocatus L. Machunda & Kyla M. Smith & Om P. Gautam & Sandy Cairncross, 2019. "What Proportion Counts? Disaggregating Access to Safely Managed Sanitation in an Emerging Town in Tanzania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:18:p:3328-:d:265787
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cairncross, Sandy, 2018. "The public health benefits of urban sanitation in low and middle income countries," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 82-88.
    2. Batley, Richard & Mcloughlin, Claire, 2015. "The Politics of Public Services: A Service Characteristics Approach," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 275-285.
    3. Duncan Mara, 2012. "Sanitation: What's the Real Problem?," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(2), pages 86-92, March.
    4. Guy Hutton & Claire Chase, 2016. "The Knowledge Base for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal Targets on Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-35, May.
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