Mobile phone based platform promotes hygiene practices : A Case Discussion

Nargis Khatun is a participant of Hand Washing in Bangladesh (HIB) project which is being funded by the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). This is an experimental intervention is jointly conducted by Dr. Abu Shonchoy, Dr. Resmaan Hussam and Dr. Chikako Yamauchi. The intervention is intended to imply mobile phone-based platform to enable people to view digital contents of hygiene-related awareness information in the midst of their desired entertainment videos directly on their mobile phones in the form of cartoons, adverts, dramas, and clippings. Nargis Khatun is a housewife and currently 25 years old, who lives with her husband and two children at Talukjamira, a village of Gaibandha District. Her husband is a bicycle mechanic who works nearby bazaar of the residence.

She came to know one day that, some staff from MOMODa FOUNDATION were looking for interested households to be part of the experiment. Afterward, she became interested and was being enlisted as eligible participants considering the eligibility criteria. Then she received a sensor-equipped dispenser that can log when and how often the dispenser is used and a Mobile handset to enable them to view digital contents of hygiene-related awareness information. After she became knowledgeable and conversant about the process of using the given dispenser and after watching digital contents of hygiene-related awareness information on their mobile phone, she left earlier hygiene habits like using only water, ash or soil and hands rubbing in the ground. Earlier process of handwashing was so unwholesome and ineffectual that came to realize after taking in the current process of handwashing by soap dispenser. The process is now considered as very easy and cost-effective from her point of view. She claimed that she was reluctant or even unknown about hygiene habits which results in family members affected by diarrheal diseases and other water-borne diseases. Her family members are now greatly inspired to use this soap dispenser regular after the toilet or before and after taking meals and after doing other household chores. The newly-promoted hygiene habits helped them in the reduction of diarrheal diseases and other water-borne diseases. Family members are now less likely affected by diarrheal diseases compared with the earlier state they were used to rinsing or rubbing hands on the ground after the toilet and before taking a meal. In general, handwashing practice was so poor in the vicinity due to a lack of sufficient hygiene related information and methods. This research is helping us to understand whether habit can be formed with the use of audio-visual media under mobile platforms and how this habit can improve the livelihood of the poor people who traditionally have very limited knowledge of correct hygiene practices.