Improving Uptake and Sustainability of Sanitation Interventions in Timor-Leste: A Case Study

Improving Uptake and Sustainability of Sanitation Interventions in Timor-Leste: A Case Study

Open defecation (OD) is still a significant public health challenge worldwide. In Timor-Leste, where an estimated 20% of the population practiced OD in 2017, increasing access and use of improved sanitation facilities is a government priority. Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) has become a popul...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-01, Vol.18 (3), p.1013
Main Authors: Clarke, Naomi E, Dyer, Clare E F, Amaral, Salvador, Tan, Garyn, Vaz Nery, Susana
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Community
Data collection
Defecation
Environmental health
Environmental monitoring
Evaluation
Households
Humans
Hygiene
International organizations
Intervention
Monitoring
Public health
Sanitation
Sanitation facilities
Stakeholders
Subsidies
Sustainability
Timor-Leste
Water
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Summary:Open defecation (OD) is still a significant public health challenge worldwide. In Timor-Leste, where an estimated 20% of the population practiced OD in 2017, increasing access and use of improved sanitation facilities is a government priority. Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) has become a popular strategy to end OD since its inception in 2000, but evidence on the uptake of CLTS and related interventions and the long-term sustainability of OD-free (ODF) communities is limited. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach, encompassing quantitative monitoring and evaluation data from water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) agencies, and semi-structured interviews with staff working for these organizations and the government Department of Environmental Health, to examine sanitation interventions in Timor-Leste. Recommendations from WASH practitioners on how sanitation strategies can be optimized to ensure ODF sustainability are presented. Whilst uptake of interventions is generally good in Timor-Leste, lack of consistent monitoring and evaluation following intervention delivery may contribute to the observed slippage back to OD practices. Stakeholder views suggest that long-term support and monitoring after ODF certification are needed to sustain ODF communities.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601