917 International Journal of Academic Medicine and Pharmacy (www.academicmed.org) ISSN(O):2687-5365;ISSN(P):2753-6556 ASSESSMENT OF WATER SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) PRACTICES AMONG HOUSEHOLDS OF RURAL VISAKHAPATNAM, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA Chandrasekhar Vallepalli 1 , B. Devi Madhavi 2 , S. Appala Naidu 3 , Anurag Gogineni 4 1 Department of Community Medicine, SVIMS-Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India 2 Department of Community Medicine, Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India 3 Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, India 4 MBBS Graduate, Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana, India Abstract Background: World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that globally 1.5 million children die from diarrheal diseases each year, of which 88% of these deaths are due to inadequate sanitation, hygiene and drinking water. WASH is the collective term for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Globally, 663 million people are still without access to clean drinking water, 8 out of 10 people live in rural areas. Globally, India has the largest number of people still defecating in the open with more than 564 million. Improving drinking water condition and sanitation facilities remains a major concern globally. The objectives of the study were to assess the water, sanitation and hygiene practices among households of rural field practice area of department of Community Medicine, Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam. Materials and Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was done among 200 households in rural field practice area in a period of three months from May 2016 to July 2016. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was administered for collecting data regarding WASH practices among households. Data collected was entered and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2010 and expressed in percentages. Result: A total of 969 members were present in the 200 households, of which 44.9% (435) were males and 55.1% (534) were females. 9.5% (19) of the households were practicing open defecation. 56% (112) of the households were having stagnant water around their houses. Conclusion: The present study revealed 9.5% of open defecation among rural households. There is a need to improve for water and sanitation conditions. Community health education campaigns in promoting healthy lifestyles and positive health seeking behavior should be done to achieve open defecation free (ODF) in the rural community. INTRODUCTION WASH is the collective term for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Globally in 2015, 663 million people are still without access to clean drinking water, 8 out of 10 people live in rural areas. [1] World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that globally 1.5 million children die from diarrhoeal diseases each year, of which 88% of these deaths are due to inadequate sanitation, hygiene and drinking water and most amongst children less than five years of age. [2,3] One in seven people, or 946 million people, practice open defecation (OD). Of those who do, 9 out of 10 live in rural areas. Five countries, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Pakistan, account for 75% of open defecation with India contributing more than 564 million. Growing evidence suggests a link between child linear growth and household WASH practices and estimates 50% of child undernutrition may be attributable to poor WASH practices. [4,5] Improving drinking water condition and sanitation facilities remains a major concern globally. With this background this study was conducted to assess the water, sanitation and hygiene practices and to identify the WASH practices associated with morbidity among households of rural field practice area of department Original Research Article Received : 24/12/2022 Received in revised form : 18/02/2023 Accepted : 06/03/2023 Keywords: WASH, water, sanitation, hygiene, rural, children, open defecation. CorrespondingAuthor: Dr. Chandrasekhar Vallepalli, Email: drvchandrasekhar@gmail.com DOI: 10.47009/jamp.2023.5.2.194 Source of Support: Nil, Conflict of Interest: None declared Int J Acad Med Pharm 2023; 5(2); 917-921 Section: Community Medicine