WASH Behavior Change & Hygiene Promotion

Why WASH behavior change matters

Water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure only protects health if people use it consistently. Taps, toilets and handwashing stations fall into disuse when they don't fit people's routines or preferences.

WASH behavior change closes that gap. It looks at the moments that matter, such as after using the toilet, before eating or preparing food, and after cleaning a child, and makes the right practice easier and more automatic at those moments.

It also looks beyond individuals: the norms in a village or school, the products available in local shops, and the services that maintain water points and toilets.

Priority WASH behaviors

• Handwashing with soap

  At critical times, with convenient stations, soap and reminders where they're needed.

• Sanitation

  Building, using and maintaining improved toilets, and ending open defecation.

• Safe water

  Treating, storing and handling drinking water safely at home.

• Menstrual health

  Access to products, information and private, safe facilities, and reduced stigma.

• Food hygiene

  Safe preparation and storage of food, especially for young children.

• Environmental hygiene

  Clean compounds, safe child feces disposal and separating animals from play areas.

How we design WASH behavior change

Our WASH behavior change approach draws on behavioral science and proven sector tools:

• Understand the setting. Observation and interviews to see where and when practices break down.
• Design the environment. Nudges such as placing handwashing stations near toilets and kitchens, visual cues and easy-to-use soap.
• Use emotional and social drivers. Disgust, nurture, status and social norms often motivate more than health facts.
• Work with markets. Affordable products and trained local providers for toilets, filters and soap.
• Engage communities. Leaders, schools and groups that set and monitor shared standards.

Sector guidance from UNICEF WASH programs and the wider hygiene community shapes our indicators and approaches.

Hygiene promotion in schools, facilities and emergencies

Hygiene promotion needs to fit the setting. In schools we work with teachers and learners on simple group handwashing routines and menstrual health. In health facilities we focus on infection prevention practices and patient hygiene. In emergencies and outbreaks, such as cholera, we link hygiene promotion to RCCE and rapid community feedback.

How an engagement runs

1. 01

   Observe and listen

   We study current practices, facilities and products in the target settings.

2. 02

   Find the drivers

   We identify the barriers and motives that matter most.

3. 03

   Design and test

   We prototype nudges, messages and activities with users.

4. 04

   Roll out

   We train frontline teams and support launch.

5. 05

   Track practice

   We measure behavior through observation, spot checks and service data.

Designing for habits, not one-off actions

Many WASH practices only protect health if they are repeated every day. Handwashing after using the toilet, treating drinking water and cleaning a latrine are habits, and habits are triggered by cues in the environment rather than conscious decisions.

That is why WASH behavior change pays close attention to the physical setting. A handwashing station placed on the path from the toilet, with soap that is visible and easy to reach, does more than a poster. Mirrors, footprints painted on the ground and simple reminders at the right place can help new routines stick.

We use observation and short behavioral audits to find where routines break down, then design and test small changes with households, schools or facility staff. Once a practice is linked to a stable cue, it is far more likely to continue after a campaign ends.

Sanitation demand and markets

Ending open defecation and moving households up the sanitation ladder requires both demand and supply. Households need to want a better toilet, believe they can afford it and find someone who can build it well. Community-led approaches can create a strong collective push, but they work best when backed by products and services that people value.

We help programs understand household aspirations, such as privacy, safety, cleanliness and status, and use them in sanitation marketing. We also support local masons and businesses with simple sales tools and customer service skills, so that demand created by WASH behavior change turns into real, durable toilets.

Measuring WASH behavior change

Self-reported handwashing is often overstated, so we combine survey questions with observation, spot checks of handwashing stations for soap and water, and toilet functionality checks. For schools and facilities, simple monitoring tools can be used by staff themselves. Read more on how we monitor and evaluate SBCC.

Hygiene promotion in schools

Schools are powerful places for hygiene promotion because habits formed in childhood can last a lifetime and children often carry practices home. Group handwashing before meals, simple daily routines led by teachers, and clean, private toilets with water and soap make a real difference. We work with education teams, school management committees and learners to design routines that fit the school day and can be maintained with limited budgets.

Menstrual health is an important part of school WASH. We support approaches that combine information, products, private facilities and efforts to reduce stigma.

Planning WASH programming?

We support WASH behavior change for governments, UN agencies, NGOs and businesses. Contact us, or see nudge design and nutrition.