Cleaner water, sanitation, and handwashing to reduce seasonal diarrheal infections in Bangladeshi children
Effect of WASH interventions on population resilience to seasonally-driven enteric pathogen transmission along a gradient of socio-economic position
This project compares whether combined water, sanitation, and handwashing support helps protect young children in rural Bangladesh from seasonal increases in gut infections across different income levels.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11231726 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a caregiver's view, researchers will follow children in rural Bangladeshi communities through the rainy (monsoon) season to see if providing improved water, sanitation, and handwashing reduces new infections. The team will collect biological samples to measure antibody changes that indicate recent exposure to enteric pathogens. Households receiving the integrated WASH package will be compared with others to see how protection varies with seasonal rainfall and family wealth. The study focuses on children across a range of socio-economic positions to understand who benefits most.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children aged 0–11 living in rural, monsoon-affected areas of Bangladesh would be the ideal participants for this work.
Not a fit: Adults, people living outside monsoon-affected regions, or households that already have reliable clean water and sanitation are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce seasonal spikes in diarrheal infections among children and guide where to target WASH programs for greatest impact.
How similar studies have performed: Previous WASH programs have sometimes lowered diarrheal disease but results have been mixed, so applying integrated WASH to seasonal pathogen patterns and wealth differences is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Arnold, Benjamin F — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Arnold, Benjamin F
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.