Handwashing Facilities With Soap and Water

Output

% of households with handwashing facilities on premises with soap and water

This indicator measures the proportion of households with a designated handwashing facility where both soap and water are available at the time of the survey. The presence of such a facility is a strong predictor of actual handwashing practice and provides a more reliable measure than self-reported behaviour. Monitoring this indicator is important because regular handwashing with soap significantly reduces the risk of diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections, and other hygiene-related illnesses.

Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews and observations among a representative sample of your target group members:

 

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)

Q1: Can you please show me where members of your household most often wash their hands?

(instruction for data collector: go and observe the place)

A1: _

1) no specific handwashing facility available

2) the respondent refused to show the place

3) fixed facility: sink with tap

4) portable facility: bucket or container with a tap

5) jug or kettle used for pouring water

6) tippy-tap (simple device operated by foot or stick)

7) basin/bowl (for communal or individual use)

8) other – specify: ………………..

If a specific place is shown, the data collector needs to observe and record the following:
 

Q2 for data collector: Is there water available?

A2: yes / no

 

Q3 for data collector: Is there soap available?

A3: yes / no

 

(ask the following question only if the previous answer is NO)

 

Q4: Do you have any soap that you use for washing hands?
A4: yes / no

 

(ask the following question only if the previous answer is YES)

 

Q5: May I please see the soap you use?

A5: _

1) soap was reported, was brought, and was likely to be used for handwashing

2) soap was reported, is available, but wasn't likely to be used for handwashing

3) soap was reported but is NOT available

 

 

To calculate the indicator's value, divide the number of respondents whose household has a handwashing facility with water and soap for handwashing (readily available or brought & likely used) by the total number of interviewed respondents. Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

Disaggregate the data by wealth and other relevant criteria.

1) The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) recommends to disaggregate the results into three sub-categories:

    - % of households with a “basic facility” (= facility with soap and water)

    - % of households with a “limited facility” (= facility with no water or soap)

    - % of households with no facility at all (see JMP’s publication below)

 

2) Handwashing facilities may be fixed or mobile and include a sink with tap water, buckets with taps, tippy-taps, and jugs or basins designated for handwashing. Soap includes bar soap, liquid soap, powder detergent, and soapy water but does not include ash, soil, sand or other handwashing agents. During the pre-testing it is important to ensure there is common understanding of what is deemed as a handwashing facility. For example, just a 20 litre jerrycan, not adjusted in any way, should not count as a “handwashing facility”.

 

3) People might be used to leaving their soap at a different place (e.g. somewhere out of the reach of domestic animals, young children or rain) but still using it regularly for washing their hands. That is why it is important to ask question 4 and verify the provided answer by question 5.

 

4) Ash, soil, sand or other traditional handwashing agents are less effective and do not count as ‘soap’.

 

5) BHA uses a slightly different version of this indicator: "percent of households with soap and water at a handwashing station on premises".