Sanitation and health challenges in Universities: a status report on studies conducted in Adama University, Ethiopia

This study is about the hygiene behaviour of students in relation to sanitation arrangements in Adama University, Ethiopia. The study identifies different practices and challenges and pinpoints changes and improvements in the hygiene behaviour of the students which may have a positive impact on health. In addition, the student’s perception about ecological sanitation and their attitudes towards the use of urinediverting dry toilets and recycling of organic matter and nutrients from human excreta were assessed. The existing sanitation arrangements were investigated and the relevant officials of the university were interviewed about the sanitation situation in the university. The methods include observation, conversational interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and detailed structured interviews with 110 students. The interventions proposed to improve the hygiene behaviour of students will also help to raise satisfaction in the existing facilities and build sustainability of sanitation systems and can also be adopted by other Universities.