In the face of many obstacles, Nicaragua’s history in ensuring a national deworming program has shed light on the potential for success. Former Global Network intern, Frankie Lucien, and fellow George Washington University Masters student Cara Janusz, traveled to Nicaragua and investigated the challenges and achievements of the Nicaragua experience and developed a case study with support from Children Without Worms.
This week End the Neglect will be featuring a six-part series of blog posts covering interesting elements of the Nicaragua experience highlighted in the case study, entitled “Worms and WASH(ED)”.
Nicaragua is one of many countries around the world that has found success in implementing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives in schools as a way to effectively change behavior to improve disease prevention.
As documented throughout this series, lack of access to clean water and good hygiene is a risk factor for the development of neglected tropical diseases, particularly intestinal worm infections, which are very common in children.
In Nicaragua, a successful model for improvement to school sanitation and hygiene has been through the Escuelas Saludables program, a UNICEF model with more than 10 years of history in Nicaragua. The program emphasizes hand washing, hygiene education and nutrition as a part of a school-based health program. Specifically, this means separated sanitation facilities, trash receptacles, and clean water for drinking and hand washing.
This is crucial because, as the case study “Worms and WASH(ED)” noted, “A sizeable percentage of Nicaragua’s school-aged child population depends on schools to meet their sanitation needs because they otherwise lack access to clean water in their homes.”
The success and longevity of Escuelas Saludables hinges on support from UNICEF, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and a mix of national and local governments and NGO partners – including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and the Nicaraguan Water and Sewer Enterprise.
Support and contributions from the local community have been another necessary component to this program. Local committees are convened that include representatives from the Ministries, local officials, and other organizations such as parent associations from schools.
The program has achieved considerable success and the ability to grow over time, both in size and scope. It started with just 17 primary schools with a strict focus on improving water and sanitation, but has expanded to more than 350 schools and is a comprehensive model that includes school nutrition and much more, according to a report by UNICEF.
To read more about the case study “Worms and WASH(ED)” please click here.