Evaluation of access to water, hygiene and sanitation in Kinshasa

Kinshasa's urban and peri-urban schools have very low levels of access to water, hygiene and sanitation. MDG 6 calls for universal and equitable access to WASH by 2030. The current situation of access to WASH services is alarming, and predisposes pupils to the risk of contamination by infectious diseases such as cholera, and to a drop in their educational performance.The main aim of this study is to determine the factors that explain the low level of access to WASH services in schools in the provincial city of Kinshasa. A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2024 to December 2024 in the city of Kinshasa, with 149 schools selected using 3-stage probability sampling.This research showed that 32% of schools had a budget line for WASH and a hygiene committee. Only 5.47% of schools had received a WASH intervention. 23% of schools had a water point and only 3.9% were interested in water quality. A ratio of 129 girls and 113 boys per latrine was observed. The absence of interventions, and the budget, explain this situation in Kinshasa schools.