Implications of recent WASH and nutrition studies for WASH policy and practice

Overview

In 2018, the WASH sector was surprised by three new high-quality studies (WASH Benefits, Kenya and Bangladesh and SHINE, Zimbabwe [3]) that showed little or no impact of selected WASH interventions on reducing childhood diarrhoea and stunting.

The purpose of this paper is two-fold: 

• to summarize the studies and the responses, contextualizing their findings within the wider body of evidence and,
• to distill the implications for future WASH investments, including WASH and nutrition co-programming, to guide practice, policy and research.