Challenges in implementation of a combined WASH and food hygiene intervention to reduce diarrhoeal diseases in children under age of five years

Recently published results of rigorously designed and evaluated WASH studies have shown minimal impacts on primary health outcomes, e.g. diarrheal disease. Reasons and speculation for these findings have been reported including the possible impacts of collective efficacy, social capital and the limitations of reporting systems. Within this context, this poster outlines the methods used in an ongoing integrated WASH and food hygiene intervention study being conducted in Southern Malawi. This cluster randomized before and after trial with a control is being supported by the Sanitation and Hygiene Applied Research for Equity (SHARE) Consortium, and aims to determine the relative impact of a combined WASH and food hygiene study with a food hygiene study alone on diarrheal disease in the rural district of Chikwawa.