2009.  WEDC Conference, Addis Ababa

2009  International Water Association Conference, Mexico City.  

Monitoring Hygiene Behaviour Change Through Community Health Clubs. 

Juliet Waterkeyn & Jason Rosenfeld (2009)

Abstract: Umzimkhulu Municipality in Kwa Zulu Natal Province has one of the lowest levels of development in South Africa. The  base-line survey highlights that only 15% of households have access to a safe water source whilst the remaining households have to use open ground water, usually in the form of unprotected springs.  Sanitation usually consists of a household pit latrine. Although the coverage is high at 90%, around 50% were unhygienic and attracted flies. A health promotion campaign was introduced to build the capacity of the community, with the objective of developing a community-led demand for improved water and sanitation. As the Community Health Club Approach is known to be capable of achieving high levels of behaviour change (Waterkeyn & Cairncross, 2006) it was chosen as the strategy for a health promotion campaign in nine wards of Umzimkhulu. Although Africa AHEAD has initiated Community Health Clubs in informal settlements in Cape Town, this is the first pilot project in South Africa to be implemented in a rural community.

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