The problem: Despite the known detrimental effects of faecal waste management, as acknowledged by national development agendas, faecal waste management is often not given the priority it deserves. This applies from the moment an individual passes out stool to the moment when the stool no longer posses a hazard to society.
Overlapping water and sanitation policies place faecal waste management at the periphery of sanitation strategies undermining the need to monitor the implementation of policies independently.
What we did and why: In order to assess the comprehensiveness, coordination and equitability of faecal waste management policies in East Africa, we undertook a policy landscape analysis. This meant mapping and examining how the existing policies address the needs of urban city dwellers along each of the components in the faecal waste management value chain. Subsequently gaps in policy that require strengthening were identified and recommendations were provided.
What our study adds: We mapped existing policies relevant to faecal waste management. We provide:
- examination of what components of the faecal waste management value chain are addressed by the policies
- identification of where there are gaps in the policies, lack of clarity and or areas in conflict with each other
- comparative analysis for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
Implications for city policy and practice: Well-coordinated, comprehensive policies and legal frameworks explicitly addressing all areas of the FWM value chain are required to foster implementation of sanitation services at the local level in order to achieve universal sanitation.
Central to this effort should be huge investments in data collection as a policy priority to help implementing agencies and local governments pinpoint priorities, measure progress, and identify interventions that work or otherwise among different segments of the urban poor.
For further information on similar projects: Africa Population and Health Research Centre
Full research article: Landscape analysis of faecal waste management policy gaps in Eastern Africa
Authors: Agnes Nanyonjo (@nyonjoagie), Caroline Kabaria (@kabariac) & Blessing Mberu
Editor: Marcus Grant (@MarcusxGrant)
