Patterns and Determinants of Communal Latrine Usage in Urban Poverty Pockets in Bhopal, India

This paper by Biran et al. (2011), published in Tropical Medicine and International Health, summarises the findings of a SHARE-funded study that explored user characteristics and attitudes towards communal sanitation in urban slums in India. Amongst other results, the study found that reported usage rates among non-latrine-owning households ranged from 15% to 100%, and that access and convenience (distance and opening hours), facility age, cleanliness ⁄ upkeep and cost were all determinants of communal facility usage among households without a latrine. The paper concludes that the study's results suggest improving facility convenience and access and modifying fee structures could lead to increased rates of usage. Likewise, attention to possible barriers to usage at household level associated particularly with having school-age children and with pre-school childcare needs may also be warranted.