Assessment and characterization of fecal exposure pathways in urban low-income settings (SaniPath) To improve the understanding of risks from fecal contamination in urban and peri-urban settings in developing countries and ultimately develop effective strategies and inform investments and policies to reduce these risks.
Phase 1 on the study involved in-depth data collection on behavior and environmental contamination along multiple pathways of exposure in Accra, Ghana. Examples of pathways of exposure to fecal contamination include drinking water, recreational water, waste-water irrigated produce, surfaces in public latrines, drain water, etc. Based on lessons from Accra, we have been developing the SaniPath Rapid Assessment Tool to assess key pathways of exposure in urban, low-income settings. The tool guides users in collecting much needed data on exposure to fecal contamination in low income, urban neighborhoods, and synthesizes these data for community, government, and service providers’ decision-making. The pathways are characterized by taking into consideration the frequency of exposure to a particular pathway along with the dose (the amount of E.coli ingested per ingestion event). The tool, which consists of training material, protocols, as well as data entry/analysis software, is publicly available on our website or on a USB flash drive and is intended for non-governmental organizations, funders, and government institutions.
Mission
The objectives of the SaniPath Study are to : - Conduct an exposure assessment and quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) with Phase 1 behavioral and environmental data from Accra, Ghana to understand exposure to fecal contamination in low-income, urban neighborhoods. - Use lessons learned from Phase 1 in developing the SaniPath Rapid Risk Assessment Tool, which utilizes a mixed methods approach to understanding exposure to fecal contamination (i.e. environmental sample collection, individual and group surveys, key informant interviews, GPS mapping, etc.) - Synthesize these data for community, government, and service providers’ decision-making - Create a tool whose results will be used to characterize a neighborhood or city according to a matrix of fecal exposure pathways. The outputs will serve as a simplified, but still informative, means of identifying priorities for sanitation investments or interventions.Approach
Research or implementation partners: o Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (Accra, Ghana) o The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (London, UK) o The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) (Accra, Ghana) o Water Research Institute (WRI) (Accra, Ghana) o TREND Group (Accra, Ghana) o Research Triangle Institute (RTI) (Raleigh, NC, USA) o Christian Medical College, Vellore (Vellore, India) o Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA, USA)Project website (SaniPath Rapid Assessment Tool)
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Filter / Tags
Behaviour changeHealth and hygienePolitical processes and institutional aspectsGlobalSpecific to one or several countriesOtherBill & Melinda Gates FoundationPeri-urbanUrban (entire city)Urban informal settlements (slums)PractitionersUniversity, education or research institution
Related Countries
GhanaIndiaMozambique
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