The importance of proper handwashing to control the spread of disease has never been more critical, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten lives. An estimated 3 billion people lack access to basic handwashing facilities (WHO). In low-income countries, handwashing facilities in institutions such as healthcare centres and schools are poor.
Due to scarcity, in most crisis contexts, water tends to be allocated for drinking and cooking (Elrha / HIF), with sanitation and handwashing being secondary considerations. As the climate crisis escalates, scarcity will place increasing pressure on access to water, particularly in resource-poor countries.
Gravit’eau recycles water, reducing the actual water use to just 5 ml per handwash. Activated by a footpump and using gravity-driven membrane filtration, the system is low-maintenance and requires no external supplies like chemicals or electricity.
Compared to other humanitarian handwashing systems, Gravit’eau is a more sustainable, user-friendly, economic and environmentally friendly solution. Its main advantages are:
Gravit’eau is implemented in combination with the RANAS behaviour change model, so as to maximise user acceptance and the impact of intervention in each specific context.
The team’s goal is to produce the following outputs by the end of the funding period:
Expected outcomes:
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