Cost and effectiveness of water, sanitation and hygiene promotion intervention in Ghana: the case of four communities in the Brong Ahafo region

Paa Kwesi Woode; Bismark Dwumfour-Asare; Kwabena Biritwum Nyarko; Eugene Appiah-Effah

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00841

Cost and effectiveness of water, sanitation and hygiene promotion intervention in Ghana: the case of four communities in the Brong Ahafo region

Heliyon. 2018 Oct 4;4(10):e00841. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00841. eCollection 2018 Oct.

Authors

Paa Kwesi Woode¹, Bismark Dwumfour-Asare², Kwabena Biritwum Nyarko¹, Eugene Appiah-Effah¹

Affiliations

¹ Civil Engineering Department, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
² Environmental Health & Sanitation Department, Faculty of Science & Environment Education, University of Education, Winneba, Asante-Mampong Campus, Ghana.

Abstract

Knowledge of cost and effectiveness of Ghana's main hygiene promotion intervention (HPI), Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), is critical for policy direction. Cost and resultant effect of HPI is examined using a case study of four communities. Surveys were conducted with 300 households, CLTS implementers and relevant agencies during the study period (May 2012 to February 2014). The HPI produced marginal but statistically significant effect (8%, p < 0.001). Improvement in hygiene behaviour was statistically associated with both government investments (p < 0.001) and household investments (p < 0.001). Actual HPI cost is US$ 90 per household: US$ 51 and 39 from government and households respectively. Cost-effectiveness of the HPI is US$ 106.42 per capita of improved hygiene behaviour.

Keywords: Public health.