Assessment of Sanitation Services and Practices among Local Community in West B Municipality in Zanzibar Island, United Republic of Tanzania

Abstract

Good basic sanitation services and practices are essential in maintaining generally accepted standards for personal hygiene and public health. The objective of this paper is to assess the sanitation services and practices among the local community in West B Municipality in Zanzibar Island, United Republic of Tanzania. The study uses a cross-sectional study design. Raosoft online sample calculator was used to determine the sample size while systematic random sampling was applied to select the respondents. Results show that a substantial proportion of the community uses on-site sanitation systems by which excreta and wastewater are collected and stored in containments within the vicinity, requiring emptying when full. Many toilets have security issues as they lack privacy and user comfort. About 28.8% have unlockable doors, 21.2% have fixed clothing curtains and 3.8% are completely open. In the area, Indian-type squat toilets are dominant (78.75%), followed by traditional pit latrines (20%). A slightly large percentage (55%) of households use motorised but the remaining percentage (45%) use non-motorised means of emptying and transportation. The study further found limited or ineffectual use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among the sludge workers, thus risking their health and safety. The conveyed sludge waste is usually taken to a designated treatment plant, disposed of in excavated pits or dumped openly in the forest. This implies that sanitation services and practices in West B are inadequate, leading to disease transmission due to environmental pollution. The study recommends compliance with standards and guidelines, awareness and advocacy, technological innovations, stakeholder involvement and research and development on sanitation services and practices.