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Proper Use of Latrine and Handwashing Facilities among Primary School Students. A Case of Peripheral Schools in Temeke District

Background: Each year two million students die from diarrheal diseases, making it the second most serious killer of students under the age of five (WHO, 1998). The use of sanitation facilities is known to interrupt the transmission of faeco oral related disease. This study assessed proper use of latrine and handwashing facilities among primary school students as the potential behavior aspect for transmission of microbes. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted involving 307 students and 12 Teachers who are heads of health clubs, making a total of 319 participants. The study was conducted at Mbagala charambe which is found in Temeke Municipal at Mbagala ward in Dar es Salaam region which involved primary schools which were Nzasa, Chemchem, kilamba ,St Mary’s international, Rangi tatu and charambe primary. Observation method, interview and questionnaire methods of data collection were employed. All the data were analyzed by the use of STATA to obtain proportional and percentages whereby they were presented in terms of table, graph and charts. Results: Most of the participants 66% were female and 34 % were male but also almost 51.5% of the schools had soap for hand washing in their latrine. Inhibitors which makes the proper use of latrine being infringe at schools were lack effective water supply as the main inhibitor followed by lack of knowledge and broken of the facilities. No school had fixed HWF. Conclusion: The study shows the need for further improvement of the existing sanitation programs like CLTS and FOLLOW – UP MANDONA to equip with the behavior aspect which will have a potential change on the proper use of latrines and HWF hence will assist most into affecting attitudes hence attain the behavior change maturity. But to have a scaling up U plan for schools which will address various issues such as the crosscutting issue of menstrual hygiene. So it is only the proper use of the latrine which will make student abstain from diarrheagenic or ill health cycle