Assessment of the health impacts of WASH interventions in disaster-prone communities in three regions of Northern Ghana

Abstract

This study evaluated the health impacts of WASH interventions in 9 intervention communities against 9 control communities in disaster-prone areas in northern Ghana. We extracted community-specific data on patient-reported cases of WASH-related diseases from health facilities in the study areas. Also, we used key informant interviews and household questionnaires to seek information for validation. The impact was measured using the before-after study with concurrent control (BAC) method of Health Impact Evaluation in WASH interventions. The findings indicate a substantial increase in the number of WASH facilities across the intervention communities. However, some respondents complained of access to inadequate quantities and increase downtime of water systems when there is a breakdown. Access to improved sanitation facilities was still a challenge, although a steady increase in the number of household access to latrines was observed. We extracted about 2,315 reported cases of WASH-related diseases, comprising diarrhoea (83%), dysentery (8%), typhoid fever (7%) and intestinal worms (2%). Impacts on diarrhoea prevalence were generally lower than reported figures, and varied across the intervention communities, ranging from 0 to 7% reduction. We recommend that greater attention be given to the sustainability of the intervention to ensure service delivery, rather than as a one-time investment, to achieve more significant impacts.