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May 28, 2025
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June 30, 2025
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Abstract

Background: Kinshasa’s urban and peri-urban areas have limited access to water, hygiene, and sanitation. SDG 6 calls for universal and equitable access to WASH by 2030. This situation predisposes pupils to the risk of infection and a drop in their educational performance.


Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2024 to Dec. 2024 in the educational provinces of Mont-Amba, Lukunga, and Tshangu, with 149 schools selected using 3-stage probability sampling. The data were analyzed using STATA V17.


Results: This study showed that 32% of the schools had a budget for WASH and a hygiene committee. Ninety percent implemented hygiene and sanitation promotion strategies and policies. Only 5.47% of the schools received WASH intervention. 54% of the schools had a water point, with 73% in urban areas and 23% in peri-urban areas (P =0.000). The study also showed that 96.88% of schools had latrines.


Conclusion: This study focused on identifying the factors that explain low access to WASH services. Only the status of schools and the lack of a budget explained the low access rate to WASH.

Keywords

Water Sanitation Hygiene WASH School Kinshasa

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Copyright (c) 2025 Gilbert Nganga , Benito Kazenza Maykondo, Henry Mata Kimbembe

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Gilbert Nganga , University of Kinshasa, DRC

Nganga Katshiayi Gilbert is a teaching assistant in the Geomatics and Environmental Engineering Department at the Higher Institute of Education and Technology in Kinshasa. 

Benito Kazenza Maykondo, University of Kinshasa, DRC

Benito Kazenza Maykondo is a teaching assistant in the Department of Nutrition at the Kinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, DRC.

Henry Mata Kimbembe, University of Kinshasa, DRC

Henry Mata Kimbembe, PhD, Department of Environmental Health, Kinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

How to Cite
Nganga , G., Maykondo, B. K., & Kimbembe, H. M. (2025). Explanatory Factors for Low Access to Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation in Schools in Kinshasa, DR Congo. Pan-African Journal of Health and Environmental Science, 4(1), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.56893/ajhes2025v04i01.06
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