Effectiveness of compound-led initiatives on hygiene practices and maintenance of handwashing facilities in low income settings in Kenya.

Regular handwashing with soap (HWWS) is key to the prevention of diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections which are a leading cause of mortality globally. HWWS alone can lead to a reduction in diarrhea diseases in children, and a reduction in acute respiratory diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has especially highlighted the importance of hand hygiene. Availability of handwashing facilities, which are necessary for handwashing to happen, is notably low in sub-Saharan Africa. Poor households in this region are especially disadvantaged as they lack handwashing facilities at the household level, an indicator used to determine access to hygiene facilities by global monitoring bodies.

 This study aims to understand hand hygiene behaviors in low-income settlements, to design appropriate hand hygiene facilities that are managed by community members, and assess the effectiveness of these facilities in increasing handwashing and hand hygiene practices in low-income settlements in Kenya.