Water supply and sanitation facilities (“hardware”) on their own are not enough to prevent disease or to enable people to take action and change behaviour for better health, dignity and well-being.
We use evidence-based approaches to facilitate sustainable behavior change, working with communities to identify barriers and enablers to good hygiene practices.
Through participatory activities, communities are empowered to change behaviour and to make decisions and plan their own improvements in WASH, including appropriate operation and maintenance systems.
Hygiene promotion is the foundation of any successful WASH programme, and is much more than simply disseminating messages. A key part is to facilitate discussions and the community-led decision-making process, to strengthen accountability and maintain a link with the WASH technical counterparts.
There is no point in constructing a latrine which is technically sound, but from the user’s perspective is inappropriate; perhaps it was constructed in an unsafe location, is not accessible to those with physical disabilities during the rainy season or is not culturally appropriate.
Hygiene promoters are responsible for communicating people’s preferences and requirements related to the design and location of WASH facilities to engineers. Conversely, hygiene promotion volunteers can explain the limits and consequences of engineering designs and technology choices, enabling people to make informed decisions.
These guidelines outline a step-by-step process for Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers to plan and implement effective, context appropriate hygiene promotion, without taking shortcuts or delivering ‘hygiene messages’. The guidelines provide National Societies with a standard approach for quality assurance, and an opportunity for more effective training and monitoring.
Explore the manual below – available in 9 languages.
The HP Box is an emergency response tool to support rapid hygiene promotion activities. Designed to be pre-positioned, the HP Box contains pre-made posters, picture cards, megaphone, laminator, camera, stationery supplies, puppet kit, pocket chart, and much more.
A standard HP Box was developed by the Global WASH Cluster in 2002. This has mainly been pre-positioned with WASH ERUs and kits and used for large emergency responses globally.
Several National Societies have adapted the standard HP Box to match their local contexts, respond faster and more effectively. Read more about Indonesia’s experiences below!
Case study – HP Box adaptation in Indonesia by Wash Geneva
Looking for practical tools for hygiene promotion?
Explore the Virtual HP Box (in our Toolbox)Webinar 2017 Interventions to promote hand-washing and sanitation
Indaba: Participatory Video Monitoring (Youth) on a WASH project in Berau, Indonesia
Hygiene promotion: empowering people to take action
Water, sanitation and hygiene promotion - Working together for healthy communities
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