Sanitation facilities and hygiene practices in a semi-urban community in Rivers State, south-south Nigeria

Background: Water and sanitation projects are synergistic in producing health effects; while there has been massive investment in water projects as part of the effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goal on access to water and sanitation; the same cannot be said for sanitation projects. This study examined the state of sanitation facilities and hygiene behaviour in an oil rich community in the Niger delta region of Nigeria. Method: The study was carried out in Ogbogu, a small semi-urban community in Rivers State, south-south Nigeria, using a descriptive cross-sectional study design. The data was collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, field observations and focus group discussions. The questionnaire was administered to female heads of households with under-five children; the field observations consisted of direct observations, spot checks and rating checks of sanitation facilities and hygiene behaviour of the respondents; while the focus group discussions were held with executive members of the community's women's association. Results: Only 68% of the households in the community had access to a sanitation facility. The reasons given for not having a sanitation facility include lack of space (85.92%), and cost (12.68%). Most of the facilities were flush toilets (61.07%), and they formed 87.95% of the 83 facilities found to be in good hygienic condition. Of the respondents with sanitation facility, 28.86% would not allow young children to use the facility. Only 21.36% of the respondents routinely disposed the stool of their children into the sanitation facility; human faeces were consequently found around the house of 40% of the respondents. About 22% of the respondents were found to have the appropriate hand washing behaviour; while the two week period prevalence of diarrhea amongst children less than 36 weeks was 14.09%. Conclusions: The access to sanitation facility, and hand washing behaviour in the study community were poor. Hygiene education and social marketing of sanitation facilities are hereby advised