Why Toilets are More Important than Doctors

Question 1

What is needed for a functioning health system? (6)

Answer 1

Service delivery. 
Health workforce. 
Information. 
Medical products, vaccines and technologies. 
financing. 
Leadership/governance.

Question 2

What are the goals of a good healthcare system? (4)

Answer 2

Improved health.
Responsiveness.
Social and financial risk protection.
Improved efficiency.

Question 3

How many healthcare workers are there per 100,000 people in Sierra Leon.

Answer 3

1.5/100,000.

Question 4

How many healthcare workers per 100,000 people are in the UK?

Answer 4

116/100,000.

Question 5

What factors contribute to the lack of healthcare workers globally? (4)

Answer 5

Problems with the education system.
Lack of reliability of pay.
Poor work conditions.
Brain drain to higher paying countries/professions.

Question 6

What factors contribute to the lack of medicines, vaccines and technologies in poorer countries? (5)

Answer 6

Unreliable supply chain.
Unreliable electricity - unable to maintain cold chain.
Lack of supplies leads to black marker selling, use of expired drugs and hoarding of drugs for emergencies.

Question 7

What are the environmental stressors about access to good sanitation. (3)

Answer 7

Barriers to access.
Discomfort at the defecation site.
Animals and insects.

Question 8

What are the social stressors about access to good sanitation. (3)

Answer 8

Privacy.
Social restrictions.
Social discomfort.

Question 9

What are the sexual stressors about access to good sanitation. (3)

Answer 9

Peeping.
Revealing and vulnerable position.
Rape/sexual assault possible.

Question 10

What are some of the challenges facing disabled people without access to good sanitation. (3)

Answer 10

Pain and discomfort.
Stigma.
Lack of privacy.

Question 11

What are the leading causes of death in children under 5 years? (4)

Answer 11

Pneumonia.
Diarrhoea.
Malaria.
Injury.

Question 12

In what ways can faeco-oral transmission occur? (4)

Answer 12

Fluids.
Fields/floors –> Food.
Flies.
Fingers.

Question 13

How many people lack access to a safe and clean toilet?

Answer 13

2.3 billion people.

Question 14

What social group of people tend to practice open defecation.

Answer 14

The poorest people of any society. e.g. in India, this accounts for approximately 200 million people.

Question 15

What is the main driver behind people wanting access to better sanitation?

Answer 15

Avoid discomforts of the bush - health is not a major concern, appearing at the bottom of the list of priorities for many people.

Question 16

What are the benefits of improved sanitation? (3)

Answer 16

Reduction in gender based violence and psychosocial stress.
Increased school attendance for girls and boys.
Reduced cost to the economy.

Question 17

How can water treatment reduce diarrhoeal and infection incidence?

Answer 17

Water goes on a journey from source to consumption.

Treatment can reduce diarrhoeal incidence by 30-40%

Question 18

What percentage of people drink treated water?

Answer 18

18%

Question 19

What percentage of people need to drink treated water for there to be a health impact?

Answer 19

97%

Question 20

How many people still collect water directly from surface water?

Answer 20

159 million people - 68% of which live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Question 21

What percentage of diarrhoeal deaths can be prevented by hand washing with soap?

Answer 21

23-48%

Question 22

What percentage of acute respiratory infections can be prevented by hand washing with soap?

Answer 22

23%

Question 23

What percentage of the world population wash their hands with soap?

Answer 23

19%

Question 24

What percentage of UK commuters had bacteria of faecal origin on their hands?

Answer 24

28%

Question 25

What can be improved with improved water, sanitation and hygiene? (12)

Answer 25

Diarrhoea. 
Pneumonia and respiratory infections. 
Stunting and environmental enteric dysfunction. 
Helminth infections. 
Influenza. 
Neglected tropical diseases. 
Neonatal and maternal infections. 
Reproductive tract infections. 
Skin disease. 
Zoonotic infections (Ebola, SARS). 
Health care acquired infections. 
AMR.

Question 26

What is improving water, sanitation and hygiene associated with? (8)

Answer 26

Fewer deaths. 
Greater productivity. 
higher school attendance. 
Improved cognitive ability. 
Greater social participation. 
Dignity. 
Improved wellbeing and self-esteem. 
Greater safety.