Handwashing is a crucial practice that significantly reduces the transmission of diseases, especially when performed after using the toilet. However, in impoverished regions lacking access to indoor plumbing, handwashing becomes a challenging task. Addressing this issue, a team of design engineers and environmental hygienists from Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of Dar es Salaam has developed an ingenious solution—a dispensable soap tab system. Their research, recently published in PLOS ONE, showcases the team’s efforts to enhance hand hygiene practices in underdeveloped areas.
Understanding the Challenges:
Prior research has highlighted the importance of handwashing in disease prevention, underscoring the need for soap and running water in the process. Unfortunately, individuals residing in areas without indoor plumbing face numerous hurdles when attempting to practice hand hygiene, especially after using the toilet. Recognizing this predicament, the research team focused their efforts on improving handwashing conditions for communities in Tanzania where access to indoor plumbing is scarce.
Engaging the Community:
To gain insights into the barriers hindering handwashing practices, the team enlisted the assistance of individuals living in separate towns. These volunteers resided in households lacking indoor plumbing, relying on self-collection or water delivery services. Furthermore, each volunteer had at least one child over five years old and one under five years old living with them. Through interviews with the volunteers and local soap makers, the researchers uncovered a common obstacle—the fear of bacteria contamination from shared soap dispensers or bars, as multiple individuals used them.
The Ingenious Solution:
Armed with their community-driven knowledge, the research team set out to design a practical handwashing system tailored to the needs of impoverished areas. They developed five prototypes, ultimately narrowing down the selection to two primary designs—a grater and a biodegradable soap tab dispenser. The latter emerged as the preferred choice due to its convenience in placement near toilets and hands-free dispensing. With this design, users need only touch the pull-off tab, after which water from a nearby jug is used for rinsing. The researchers concluded that mass production of tab soap dispensers would be feasible and could be distributed or made available for purchase in communities lacking indoor plumbing, thereby substantially improving living conditions.
Conclusion:
The groundbreaking work of the research team from Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of Dar es Salaam offers a ray of hope in addressing the challenges of handwashing in impoverished areas. By introducing dispensable soap tabs, this innovative solution facilitates improved hand hygiene practices, particularly after using the toilet. With the potential for widespread production and distribution, these soap tab dispensers have the power to significantly enhance living conditions in communities without access to indoor plumbing. Through the collective efforts of researchers, communities, and innovative solutions such as this, we can continue to make strides in improving public health and well-being worldwide.
To read the original study, please refer to the following link: [PLoS ONE ]