Senegal : a handwashing behavior change journey : global scaling up handwashing project

In 2003, the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap (PPPHW) was created in Senegal with technical assistance from the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). Housed initially within the Office Nationale de L’Assainissement, the government unit overseeing sanitation within the Ministry of Health, the PPPHW’s main objective was to catalyze and coordinate multi-sectoral involvement in the promotion of handwashing with soap. A first phase of activities, initiated in 2004, culminated in a 10-month communications campaign launched in 2007. Anchored around the theme, “Water Rinses but Soap Cleans,” the campaign focused on conveying “first generation messages” to improve knowledge around the critical times for washing hands and the importance of using soap. Campaign activities included nationally aired television and radio spots; entertainment-education events in market places and schools; and small-group discussions conducted with women’s associations (called m’botayes) and in the waiting rooms of local health centers. During this second phase, activities in Senegal were expanded to eight of the country’s then 11 regions, with the objective of reaching over 1.5 million mothers with children under the age of five through an integrated behavior change approach. The final objective is to improve the handwashing with soap practices of over 500,000 mothers and children. In parallel, efforts were directed at strengthening the enabling environment to ensure that activities and outcomes would be sustained after the project end. [authors abstract]