WASH programme of BRAC: an empirical study of Dhamrai upazila

Abstract

Safe drinking water, sanitation facilities and hygiene practices have very profound impact on human life. Especially, Bangladesh faces multiple challenges in the water, sanitation and hygiene sectors. BRAC has been working in this sector as a programme named “WASH Programme of BRAC” with major support of Netherlands government since 2006 to achieve millennium development goals (goal 4 & 7) on safe drinking water and basic sanitation. WASH Programme can be classified into two phases. First phase is called WASH I programme (during May 2006 to April 2011) and the second phase is called WASH II programme (during October 2011 to April 2015). The first phase has fulfilled sanitary latrine coverage to 25.6 millions, hygiene education coverage 38.8 millions and safe drinking water coverage 1.78 millions of people within the period of 2006 to 2011. WASH programme (WASH II) is currently running in 254 Upazilas including 150 Upazilas of the first phase. This research work aims to accomplish an empirical study of WASH programme in Dhamrai Upazila. The objective of this study is to find out whether the WASH programme is benefitting the health condition of the poor. Many poor people of our country usually deprive of getting safe drinking water and sanitation facilities due to many impediments and problems that can be expressed by three indicators; these are accessibility, affordability and usability. The aim of this programme is to make every people accessible or affordable to get the benefit of safe drinking water and use of sanitary latrine. Hygiene knowledge and hygiene practices are important for better health status. From the research findings, it has been revealed that, in Dhamrai, around ninety percent respondents were attacked by diarrhoeal diseases more than five times in a year. But due to the effective activities of WASH programme, this percentage has now reduced to zero percent. This is obviously a great achievement of WASH programme in Dhamrai Upazila. In spite of having such big achievements the WASH programme in research area is not out of flaws. According to the research survey, though this programme has significant success in sanitation and hygiene sector, it has not fulfilled the demand of safe drinking water. However, the improvement of health condition of the poor people of Dhamrai Upazila through the WASH programme has been reflected by the respondent’s opinion on the question ‘overall satisfaction level of the respondent on WASH programme’. Among forty respondents, 62.5 percent are satisfied and 32.5 percent are highly satisfied with the programme activities. That is, all the respondents except five percent are either ‘satisfied’ or ‘highly satisfied’ with the WASH programme. Finally, some policy implications have been made in the last chapter as recommendation that would be helpful for the programme authority and policy planners concerned with water, sanitation and hygiene sector.