Water, sanitation and hygiene situation in public primary schools in the Department of Man, Western Côte d'Ivoire

ABSTRACT This study examines water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in public primary schools in the Department of Man, Côte d'Ivoire. Interviews were conducted with the regional education director and head teachers, and a visual assessment was made of the environment in 158 schools, divided into 36 school groups (SGs) and 10 single schools (SSs). The majority of SGs (77.8–86.1%) had handwashing facilities, water points and latrines. However, very few SSs (30%) had latrines, while most had handwashing facilities and water points, i.e. wells, taps and boreholes, with a greater number of wells in both SSs and SGs. The majority of latrines were of the dry pit type (76.3%), with 4–6 cubicles, separated by sex, and mostly built by international organizations, including UNICEF, which built the largest number. However, 30.2% of the latrines are out of use, mainly due to pressure from the local population and lack of maintenance. Old buckets are mainly used as bins, often in front of classrooms, and the waste is usually burned in the open. Given the variety of interventions, the government needs to introduce standards for WASH in schools and set up a fund to maintain the built infrastructure.