Impact of a climate-resilient WASH package in Karamoja schools

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a cluster-randomised controlled trial conducted in government primary schools in nine districts of Karamoja, Uganda. It evaluates the health and attendance effects of a multi-component WASH package combined with menstrual health capacity building and behavior change activities. The trial targets schools identified as severely or moderately water insecure and uses a three-arm design with a phased implementation. Outcomes include pupil health indicators, school attendance, and menstrual health self-efficacy among adolescent girls. Lead sponsorship is by Elijah Kipchumba with collaboration from C4ED, KIO, and MCWILL Uganda Limited.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

CLUSTER LEVEL (school)

* Government primary school, operational at the time of the October-November 2025 rapid vulnerability assessment, located in one of the nine districts of the Karamoja sub-region (Abim, Amudat, Kaabong, Karenga, Kotido, Moroto, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripirit, Napak)
* Classified in the severe or acutely affected moderate water insecurity tier on the adapted HWISE assessment, and among the 60 highest composite priority scores across all 182 assessed schools
* Hydrological viability confirmed: sub-surface geology and groundwater survey establish the feasibility of a viable water source at or adjacent to the school site
* Head teacher and school administration grant permission for facility observation and school records capture

INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

Pupils:

* Enrolled in grades P2 to P7 at a trial school and appearing on the current enrolment register at the time of sampling
* Selected by systematic random sampling from the enrolment register with proportional representation across grades
* Parent or legal guardian has provided written informed consent, and the pupil has provided assent
* For the menstrual health sub-sample: post-menarche, approximately aged 11 to 17

Caregivers:

* Parent or legal guardian of a sampled pupil, matched one-to-one
* Provides own informed consent

Teachers and head teachers:

* Currently employed and appearing on the staff register of a trial school
* Teachers selected by simple random sampling from the staff register, six per school
* Provide their own informed consent

Community leaders:

* Local council chairperson, religious leader, women's group representative or community elder resident in the catchment area of a trial school
* Provides own informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Schools not confirmed hydrologically viable for a school-site water source
* Schools outside the top 60 composite priority scores
* Pupils not appearing on the current enrolment register at the time of sampling
* Any individual for whom consent (and, for pupils, both guardian consent and pupil assent) is not obtained
* Any individual who declines or withdraws at any point, without requirement to give a reason and without consequence

Where it's running

• Trial schools
  Moroto, Uganda Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Innocent Mwaka, PhD — Center for Evaluation and Development (C4ED)
• Study coordinator: Andrew Kaiser-Tedesco, MSc
• Email: akaisertedes@unicef.org
• Phone: +254 748 876293

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Gut health follow-along with Peachbiotic in adults

  This single-arm study tests whether Peachbiotic taken daily for 12 weeks helps adults with gut symptoms feel better.

  Recruiting Peach Perfect · Las Vegas, Nevada · NCT07927907

• Do home water filters improve health for people with private wells in rural Central Appalachia

  This study tests whether providing point-of-use water filters to households using well or spring water in rural Central Appalachia can reduce acute gastrointestinal illness.

  Recruiting Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Johnson City, Tennessee and 1 other locations · NCT07818902

• Clinical Multimodal Surveillance of Respiratory Pathogens

  This nationwide study tests a hospital-based system to track respiratory pathogens in patients with respiratory symptoms and to use samples collected during care to spot trends and support prevention efforts.

  Recruiting at 31 sites Huashan Hospital · Beijing, Beijing Municipality and 30 other locations · NCT07694648

• Balanced IV Fluids for Kids with Acute Gastroenteritis

  This study compares balanced crystalloids versus normal saline for IV hydration in young children with acute gastroenteritis to see if it improves acid–base status and clinical outcomes.

  Recruiting Aydin Adnan Menderes University · Aydin · NCT07610382

• Virological Monitoring of Seasonal Respiratory Infections in France

  This project tests how often common respiratory viruses show up in patients seen by primary care doctors in metropolitan France during the fall and winter.

  Recruiting Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France · Paris · NCT07599449

• Prevention with PMBL for recurrent RTIs in kids

  This study tests whether PMBL sublingual tablets can help prevent recurrent respiratory tract infections in children aged 3–12 compared to a placebo.

  Recruiting at 9 sites Phase 4 Lallemand Pharma AG · Bialystok and 9 other locations · NCT07578012

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.