How to start evaluating projects on health and hygiene

Q: We want to start a project with a Fijian village looking at introducing sustainable sewage treatment into the village. We are also addressing the issue of water supply and will also cover health and hygiene. What we would like to do is to evaluate the project success based on several factors including health. I.e. looking at health and hygiene before and after the project. But where and how to start?
Researcher, New Zealand.

Answer:
(by Marielle Snel, IRC). It would be logical to start of with an overall baseline survey to get an idea regarding the health and hygiene. My own area of expertise is in the area of school sanitation and hygiene education (WASH in schools). An example for an overall baseline survey for schools to determine the success of the overall health situation in schools can be found in box 6.1 of the publication `School sanitation and hygiene education - India´.

I would also like to refer to a selection of methods and tools related to WASH in schools assessments. These lists, see especially the four star list under monitoring tools, can be used in the context of WASH in schools.

I would strongly suggest that you contact Val Curtis, PhD, senior lecturer in hygiene promotion at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, for more information. She studied hygiene behaviour in developing countries for many years. She is currently researching the health impacts of handwashing, and the effectiveness of different approaches.