WASH in Health Care Facilities

Maji Safi Group joined the global movement to mitigate the barriers to proper WASH practices that currently exist at many health care facilities (HCFs).

To improve well-being and reduce disease rates, we are helping local hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries in the Rorya District improve their WASH conditions.

Safe and ample water, accessible toilets, good hygiene education, thorough cleaning practices, and proper disposal of infectious waste can greatly improve the quality of care and reduce the alarmingly frequent occurrence of healthcare-acquired infections. We are taking a multi-pronged and strategic approach to reach our overall goal of working closely with HCFs to construct WASH infrastructure and implement and maintain sustainable practices to make a significant and measurable difference in people’s lives and in general support public and global health.

WASH in Health Care Facilities Is Essential!

as a way to prevent avoidable deaths
as a necessary element of primary health care
as a prerequisite for infection prevention and antimicrobial-resistant pathogen control
as a prerequisite for health security, preparedness, and response (COVID-19, cholera, ebola, etc.)
as a human rights, dignity, and social justice issue

Maji Safi Group conducted a baseline survey in 20 Health Care Facilities in the Rorya District. The data clearly indicate a significant need for improvement:

We believe our vast experience with WASH enables us to identify, select, and carry forward the most appropriate and economical designs to achieve strong results in the different components of WASH in HCFs. Once again, we are drawing on our longtime success with participatory development and the expertise of our Community Health Educators.

hospital had drinking water available for staff and caretakers.

38%

of health care facilities did not have functional handwashing stations at points of care.

66%

of health care facilities did not have an improved water source.

57%

of health care facilities had water available fewer than five days per week.

<10%

of latrines had access to a handwashing station.

75%

of toilets did not provide means to manage menstrual hygiene.

Building Capacity

By conducting trainings on proper hygiene practices, waste management, and environmental cleanliness, we improve the capacity of the frontline health workers to understand disease prevention and protect their own health in the workplace.

Hygiene education in general and something as simple as proper handwashing can create long-term behavioral change and drastically reduce the occurrence of preventable diseases and infections.

Ensuring Sustainability – WASH Guideline Principles and Procedures

At each HCF, MSG and our group of partners create a governance body known as “The WASH Facilities Improvement Team (FIT)”. The primary role of this team is to conduct monthly and quarterly monitoring, securing adherence to WASH guideline principles and procedures, and monitoring the functionality of the WASH infrastructures installed.

Along similar lines, we use two types of Circuit Riders who attend to infrastructural or administrative issues at the HCFs we partner with. The first type is a Technical Circuit Rider who performs routine checkups and maintenance on the infrastructure to sustain high rates of functionality. The second type is a Quality-of-Care Circuit Rider who focuses mainly on the performance of infection prevention control and the monitoring of the hygiene, waste management, and cleanliness systems that were taught and implemented during staff training.

Creating Systemic Impact

Given Maji Safi Group’s commitment to improving WASH conditions in HCFs in the Rorya District and the highly qualified group of partners involved, the results are felt at the district level and will hopefully inspire other districts in the Mara Region to put more resources towards improving WASH conditions in their own HCFs. The ultimate objective of this program is to present our model, findings, and results to the regional and national governments to advocate for systemic change in WASH in HCFs and larger-scale adoption in the Lake Victoria Zone and beyond.

Project C.U.R.E.

From time to time, MSG collaborates with Project C.U.R.E. to bring medical equipment to hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries in the Rorya District. Project C.U.R.E. is a US- based nonprofit headquartered in Denver and dedicated to addressing the shortage of medical resources around the world. Project C.U.R.E. and MSG join forces to send 40-foot containers with medical equipment to select HCFs whose capability to staff and operate specific, much needed equipment has been thoroughly assessed by a professional medical assessor. Raising approximately $30,000 for shipping, logistics, etc. yields $400,000-600,000 worth of medical equipment.

Nutrition

An alarming increase in child malnutrition in rural areas is a pressing concern in Tanzania. Nationally, child stunting is affecting 34% of children (according to the World Food Program, 2022). Stunting is an indicator of chronic malnutrition, stemming from long-term nutritional deficiencies. The Shirati KMT District Hospital, MSG’s primary medical partner, has recently identified child malnutrition as a significant and growing problem. More children are not only displaying signs of malnutrition – they are also losing their lives as a result of it.

MSG now does frontline screening for malnutrition at secondary and tertiary HCFs as part of our Disease Prevention Center visits and on clinic days when children come for height/weight checks and receive vaccinations. In addition, we offer nutrition education and guidance for parents on achieving a balanced diet and using nutritional supplements

Two additional nutrition programs are contributing to the impact of MSG’s new nutritional services in HCFs. These include a demonstration farm and production of vitamin-fortified peanut butter supplements. The demonstration farm, located at our WASH Hub in Sokolaboro, is an educational tool to assist surrounding communities with low-tech gardening methods to increase at-home vegetable growing and access to nutritional foods.

Disease Prevention Center

Maji Safi Group’s Community Health Educators (CHEs) staff the Disease Prevention Centers located at several health centers in the Rorya District. These include the Shirati KMT Hospital, Masonga Dispensary, Rao Hospital and Ngasaro Clinic. Four days a week, during hospital visiting hours, our CHEs are available to answer visitor and patient questions about disease prevention. The Centers also provide previously non-existent disease prevention initiatives to help residents create healthy habits.

Currently, CHEs assist 35-50 visitors a week at the health centers. Residents from all over the Rorya District and other areas in the Mara Region are now enjoying WASH benefits and reducing the likelihood of expensive medical treatment in the future.