WASH Levels and Associated Human Health Risks in War-Prone West African Countries: A Global Indicators Study (2015 to...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Science
• Development Studies

Background:

• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) are critical determinants of health outcomes.
• Limited data exists on WASH access in conflict-affected West African nations.
• Understanding WASH disparities is crucial for targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate current Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) levels in war-prone West African countries.
• To analyze demographic and geographic disparities in WASH access.
• To determine the associations between different WASH components.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 2015-2021 sourced from the Joint Monitoring Programme (WHO/UNICEF), World Bank, and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS).
• Employed Pearson correlation analysis to assess the relationships among WASH indicators.
• Compared WASH access across genders and urban-rural populations.

Main Results:

• Women demonstrated higher access to safe water (56.39%), sanitation (59.36%), and hygiene (60.23%) than men.
• Urban populations exhibited superior WASH access compared to rural populations (Safe Water: 57.60%, Sanitation: 61.23%, Hygiene: 65.65%).
• Nigeria led in safe water and sanitation, while Mali led in hygiene; strong positive correlations were found between safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (r ≥ 0.996, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Significant disparities in WASH access exist based on gender and location (urban vs. rural) in the studied West African countries.
• Safe water, sanitation, and hygiene are strongly interconnected, suggesting a synergistic approach to interventions.
• Integrated WASH programs combining infrastructure, behavior change, and community engagement are recommended for sustainable access.