News 2011

September

Earth Beat - Clean

We get a little bit dirty, but in a good way. Getting rid of dirt and being clean is seen as a good thing. But what happens when we take clean to the extreme? Plus, why it could pay not to apply the elbow grease.

Listen to the MP3 by clicking here.

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July

Morality Test

The Hygiene Centre is running a study exploring a new theoretical approach to understanding the nature of human moral sensibilities.

The full study, to be linked to a BBC1 programme, will be available in September.

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March

WHO publication on: Integrated IAP and HWTS Projects.

WHO has recently published a document, which Ameer Shaheed of LSHTM’s Environmental Health Group has helped to compile, while he was still a consultant for them. Although, the research was carried before Ameer came to the school, the report was edited & conceived here.

Around 2007, Adam Biran and Tom Clasen created together a concept note, about the potential to integrate drinking water quality and indoor air pollution. This was both to investigate integrated public health intervention per se, as well as specifically trying to address two major causes of under-5 mortality/morbidity. WHO used this report to send a request for proposals from NGOs willing to implement this as a pilot in Africa, with US EPA funds. Nigel Bruce and Ameer Shaheed were sent to conduct an evaluation of the projects after their 18 months pilots to the sites in Cameroon and Kenya.

Visit it here.

Rachel Peletz has now joined EGH-HC Group.

Rachel, as a Research Assistant, participates in the design of randomized, controlled trials and other studies of point-of-use water quality interventions in low-income countries, including impact on both microbiological and chemical contaminants and their health impact. Rachel also assists with the preparation of study protocols, applications for ethics committee/investigation review board approvals and budgets.

As well as dealing with literature reviews and field investigations of water quality interventions and programmes, Rachel provides technical advice and assistance to hardware manufacturers and programmes implementers to optimize the efficacy of point-of-use water treatment devices for removing arsenic and pathogenic microbes from drinking water.

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February

Hygiene Centre staff Research Meeting

A three day meeting to discuss research ideas and strategies in Hygiene and Behaviour Change took place at the beginning of February.

Hygiene Centre staff were part of the annual meeting of the Environmental Health Group of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which discussed the themes of Consolidation, Sharing and Affiliation.

Twenty six representatives from the group presented their current work and discussions followed to help with development and consolidation of the various programmes. Opportunities for sharing and dissemination were also developed and further collaborative ventures discussed. Following a SWOT analysis on the group’s performance, ideas were proposed and decisions made for managing progress.

WASH conference 16-20 May 2011

The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene conference this year will be held in Brisbane, Australia The title is Towards Sustainability in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and is aimed at discussing one of the greatest challenges to the WASH sector: sustainability.

The conference addresses four key themes which together are responsible for ‘sustainable’ WASH service delivery:

1. Functional and environmental sustainability
2. Behaviour change and social sustainability
3. Institutional sustainability
4. Financial sustainability

The WASH conference is coordinated by the Water and Sanitation (WASH) Reference Group in conjunction with AusAID. The WASH conference is managed by International WaterCentre and International WaterForum.

Practitioners and professionals from governments, donors and NGOs, students and academics will get together at the conference and training program, which will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on WASH services provision in developing countries.

Follow the link to the conference website for further details.

Other conferences 2011

Links to a few of the other conferences taking place in 2011 can be found here.

• AfricaSan - Rwanda, 19th - 21st July
• SACOSAN - Sri Lanka, 4-8th April
• WEDC Conference - 6-8th July
• Stockholm Water Week - August 21-27 *Deadline for submission is 14th Feb*

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January

History of Hygiene

New article by Val Curtis in the Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History

Dr Valerie Curtis presents the adaptive behaviour practices that keep us and our environments clean. These practices are not just restricted to humans but practiced by other animals, fish and birds. Click here to read the article.

Choose Soap Resource

A team at the Hygiene Centre have been working on a new resource for hand washing.

Drs Valerie Curtis and Robert Aunger, together with a team of specialists and staff from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine undertook the research and development of a new resource for handwashing with soap. This project was funded by the UK Department for International Development as part of the SHARE Research Programme Consortium.

The materials which make up this resource are nearing completion and will be presented on the SHAREresearch.org website as well as on HygieneCentral.org.uk. Watch for further announcements soon.

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