Assessment of indicators on drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices from rural schools of Kathua

INTRODUCTION: Safe and adequate water supply and sanitation in schools are prerequisites for right to basic education for school children. The provision of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities has been linked to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess the indicators of WASH in schools falling under the Rural Health and Training Centre (RHTC), Budhi, GMC Kathua. MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted during a period of two months in the month of September 2019 to October 2019. It was done in the rural area under CHC Nagri Parole Kathua. The total number of schools under CHC is 981. Interview of the head of the school was done using world health organization (WHO) and united nations international children’s emergency fund (UNICEF) Standardized Questionnaire for WASH Practices. The Questionnaire includes core and expanded questions on drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene practices. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and descriptive statistics was analyzed in the form of number and percentages. RESULTS: Out of total 139 schools, 57.72% schools had basic drinking water facilities. Only 29.11% schools have basic hand-washing facilities with soap and water; 81.29% of the schools have improved toilets. CONCLUSION: Political will and financing and effective delivery of interventions will be required to ensure universal access to WASH in schools.