This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Unclaimed
Elizabeth Tilley
ETH Zurich, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Journal article
Published: 21 June 2021 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Population growth and dietary needs changes have exerted pressure on phosphorus (P) reserves, and the future availability of P fertilisers is uncertain. Most Malawian soils have low P and farmers apply P fertilisers to harvest enough food. Scarcity of chemical P fertilisers and rising prices will affect Malawi's food security. To avert the impact of P future uncertainty a P flow analysis (PFA) was conducted to characterise and quantify sources, flows, and sinks of P to determine options for waste minimisation, recovery, and chemical fertiliser use reduction for Malawi. The PFA results highlighted that; there are 35000 Mg of recyclable organic P annually, which is over two times Malawi's annual P fertiliser demand (14000 Mg). Currently, only 16% of the organic P is recycled to agriculture. Chemical P fertiliser represents 66 % of the P fertiliser used for crop production. Manure is the most recycled organic P source (38 % recycled), followed by organic solid waste (6%), and crop residues (5%). Annually, 9000 Mg of P is transferred to faecal matter, but none is recycled. Overall, Malawian soils have a negative P balance of -4000 Mg. Malawi can reduce its dependence on imported chemical P if recycling of organic P source is adopted. However, regulations should be put in place to control the quality of organic fertilisers.

ACS Style

Frank Mnthambala; Elizabeth Tilley; Sean Tyrrel; Ruben Sakrabani. Phosphorus flow analysis for Malawi: Identifying potential sources of renewable phosphorus recovery. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2021, 173, 105744 .

AMA Style

Frank Mnthambala, Elizabeth Tilley, Sean Tyrrel, Ruben Sakrabani. Phosphorus flow analysis for Malawi: Identifying potential sources of renewable phosphorus recovery. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2021; 173 ():105744.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Frank Mnthambala; Elizabeth Tilley; Sean Tyrrel; Ruben Sakrabani. 2021. "Phosphorus flow analysis for Malawi: Identifying potential sources of renewable phosphorus recovery." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 173, no. : 105744.

Journal article
Published: 26 May 2021 in Journal of Urban Management
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Similar to other poor countries across Africa, Malawi struggles with solid waste management (SWM). Especially considering the high proportion of organic waste, composting is a promising opportunity to tackle the problem. However, composting has had low uptake due to competing fertilizer subsidies, the perceived labour required, and a lack of training and equipment. Considering these issues, this paper presents an analysis of the political dynamics around SWM at markets in Blantyre, Malawi, and to understand how these dynamics may potentially affect the sorting of organic waste in order to improve the production of compost. We find complex systems of both formal and informal management that are deeply linked to the official political structures, creating a diverse array of actors with various vested interests. Implementing a separation program would need community engagement and long-term financial viability to ensure that the project is not abandoned as others have been. This paper contributes to understanding how the complexity of urban governance, combined with party politics, can affect the potential for introducing new models of waste management. It emphasises the importance of understanding both informal and formal management structures before designing interventions.

ACS Style

Wrixon Mpanang'Ombe; Adrian Mallory; Elizabeth Tilley. Poverty, politics and plastic: Organic waste sorting in Blantyre's public markets. Journal of Urban Management 2021, 10, 192 -204.

AMA Style

Wrixon Mpanang'Ombe, Adrian Mallory, Elizabeth Tilley. Poverty, politics and plastic: Organic waste sorting in Blantyre's public markets. Journal of Urban Management. 2021; 10 (3):192-204.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wrixon Mpanang'Ombe; Adrian Mallory; Elizabeth Tilley. 2021. "Poverty, politics and plastic: Organic waste sorting in Blantyre's public markets." Journal of Urban Management 10, no. 3: 192-204.

Research article
Published: 17 May 2021 in Journal of African Cultural Studies
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Over the past decade, there has been increased awareness and discourse around the inequalities which structure North–South academic collaboration. The purpose of this discussion is to look at the other side of this dynamic: the gatekeeping burden of African scholars in facilitating Northern fieldwork within the African continent. We argue that this burden further exacerbates inherent inequalities within North–South relationships. By way of conclusion, we offer a number of practical steps that Northern researchers can take when engaging African academics which will contribute to more ethical collaboration, and a more positive and lasting impact within African institutions.

ACS Style

Elizabeth Tilley; Marc Kalina. “My Flight Arrives at 5 am, Can You Pick Me Up?”: The Gatekeeping Burden of the African Academic. Journal of African Cultural Studies 2021, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Elizabeth Tilley, Marc Kalina. “My Flight Arrives at 5 am, Can You Pick Me Up?”: The Gatekeeping Burden of the African Academic. Journal of African Cultural Studies. 2021; ():1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elizabeth Tilley; Marc Kalina. 2021. "“My Flight Arrives at 5 am, Can You Pick Me Up?”: The Gatekeeping Burden of the African Academic." Journal of African Cultural Studies , no. : 1-11.

Research article
Published: 17 May 2021 in Cities & Health
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The interplay between menstrual waste and urban sanitation infrastructure is largely hidden from view. Qualitative research has highlighted socio-cultural aspects of menstruation, but few quantitative studies have mapped the physical situation at scale. This study surveyed 258 women in Blantyre, Malawi about their menstrual absorbent choices, disposal practices, and socio-demographic characteristics. A Sankey diagram visualised flows of menstrual waste in the urban environment and identified ultimate disposal points. Most participants used either disposable pads and/or old cloth and disposed of them by either burning and/or throwing in pit latrines. Pad and cloth use were associated with age, education, employment, marital status, and household wealth. Younger women’s preference for disposable pads suggests that demographic shifts may cause volumes of menstrual waste to increase. However, differences in waste volume produced by disposable and reusable absorbents was less than previously assumed. The volume of menstrual waste discarded in pit latrines, and cultural barriers to disposing it elsewhere, highlights challenges for the pit emptying industry and faecal sludge value recovery sector, with the problem anticipated to be most acute in high-density settlements. Widening access to sustainable disposal strategies, affordable reusable menstrual products, and tackling stigma, are key to addressing this social and environmental challenge.

ACS Style

Heather Roxburgh; Caron Magombo; Tamandani Kaliwo; Elizabeth A. Tilley; Kate Hampshire; David M. Oliver; Richard S. Quilliam. Blood flows: mapping journeys of menstrual waste in Blantyre, Malawi. Cities & Health 2021, 1 -14.

AMA Style

Heather Roxburgh, Caron Magombo, Tamandani Kaliwo, Elizabeth A. Tilley, Kate Hampshire, David M. Oliver, Richard S. Quilliam. Blood flows: mapping journeys of menstrual waste in Blantyre, Malawi. Cities & Health. 2021; ():1-14.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Heather Roxburgh; Caron Magombo; Tamandani Kaliwo; Elizabeth A. Tilley; Kate Hampshire; David M. Oliver; Richard S. Quilliam. 2021. "Blood flows: mapping journeys of menstrual waste in Blantyre, Malawi." Cities & Health , no. : 1-14.

Research article
Published: 30 April 2021 in ACS ES&T Water
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Access to a sufficient quantity of safe water is widely recognized as fundamental to ensure health and prevent water- and excreta-related diseases. The objective of this study is to analyze seasonal variations in household preferences and alternatives in accessing domestic water, including for drinking, and to identify predictors for the use of multiple water sources. A prospective cohort study was conducted in Malawi, and data were collected using structured household questionnaires and water quality testing. Results showed that households fetching water were more likely to rely on multiple water sources during the rainy season, compared to the dry season. When access to a single water source is insufficient, and/or the main water source is broken or not functional, households use additional water sources that are more likely to be contaminated or distant as a coping strategy. Water source reliability (i.e., functionality and availability) and proximity to water sources (i.e., time to collect water, waiting time) were found to be the most important factors influencing households’ preferences. Ensuring reliable and continuous access, throughout the seasons, to at least a single water source that is located in proximity to the household is a key intervention to reduce the fetching burden.

ACS Style

Alexandra Cassivi; Elizabeth Tilley; Owen Waygood; Caetano Dorea. Seasonal Preferences and Alternatives for Domestic Water Sources: A Prospective Cohort Study in Malawi. ACS ES&T Water 2021, 1, 1464 -1473.

AMA Style

Alexandra Cassivi, Elizabeth Tilley, Owen Waygood, Caetano Dorea. Seasonal Preferences and Alternatives for Domestic Water Sources: A Prospective Cohort Study in Malawi. ACS ES&T Water. 2021; 1 (6):1464-1473.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alexandra Cassivi; Elizabeth Tilley; Owen Waygood; Caetano Dorea. 2021. "Seasonal Preferences and Alternatives for Domestic Water Sources: A Prospective Cohort Study in Malawi." ACS ES&T Water 1, no. 6: 1464-1473.

Research article
Published: 02 March 2021 in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) is increasingly used to provide decision makers with actionable data about community health. WBE efforts to date have primarily focused on sewer-transported wastewater in high-income countries, but at least 1.8 billion people in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) use onsite sanitation systems such as pit latrines and septic tanks. Like wastewater, fecal sludges from such systems offer similar advantages in community pathogen monitoring and other epidemiological applications. To evaluate the distribution of enteric pathogens inside pit latrines–which could inform sampling methods for WBE in LMIC settings unserved by sewers–we collected fecal sludges from the surface, mid-point, and maximum-depth of 33 pit latrines in urban and peri-urban Malawi and analyzed the 99 samples for 20 common enteric pathogens via multiplex quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Using logistic regression adjusted for household population, latrine sharing, the presence of a concrete floor or slab, water source, and anal cleansing materials, we found no significant difference in the odds of detecting the 20 pathogens from the mid-point (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 1.1; 95% confidence interval = 0.73, 1.6) and surface samples (aOR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.54, 1.2) compared with those samples taken from the maximum depth. Our results suggest that, for the purposes of routine pathogen monitoring, pit latrine sampling depth does not strongly influence the odds of detecting enteric pathogens by molecular methods. A single sample from the pit latrines’ surface, or a composite of surface samples, may be preferred as the most recent material contributed to the pit and may be easiest to collect.

ACS Style

Drew Capone; Petros Chigwechokha; Francis L. De Los Reyes Iii; Rochelle H. Holm; Benjamin B. Risk; Elizabeth Tilley; Joe Brown. Impact of sampling depth on pathogen detection in pit latrines. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021, 15, e0009176 .

AMA Style

Drew Capone, Petros Chigwechokha, Francis L. De Los Reyes Iii, Rochelle H. Holm, Benjamin B. Risk, Elizabeth Tilley, Joe Brown. Impact of sampling depth on pathogen detection in pit latrines. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2021; 15 (3):e0009176.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Drew Capone; Petros Chigwechokha; Francis L. De Los Reyes Iii; Rochelle H. Holm; Benjamin B. Risk; Elizabeth Tilley; Joe Brown. 2021. "Impact of sampling depth on pathogen detection in pit latrines." PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 15, no. 3: e0009176.

Research article
Published: 15 February 2021 in International Journal of Sustainable Engineering
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Across the Global South, post-consumer waste glass is an often dumped, and under-utilised resource. Even in Malawi, with widespread return schemes, many barriers exist, inhibiting reuse, and necessitating appropriate solutions. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance of post-consumer waste glass as a coarse aggregate within burnt clay bricks, and to assess the feasibility for the recovery of this waste material from dumped stocks within Chembe. Using a brick design and testing methodology, which could be replicated within a rural African context, we tested a range of glass additions (both quantity and size of particle) for compressive strength and water absorption properties. Our results suggest that waste glass can function as a performance enhancer, with positive effects on compressive strength observed at up to 10% crushed waste glass content. These findings support existing literature on glass waste additions, yet show that optimal results can also be had with post-consumer waste glass and in low income, and less technology-reliant contexts. Moreover, our findings suggest that current above-ground stocks of waste glass are sufficient to support the production of hybrid building materials for decades, however further innovation is necessary in order to achieve a sustainable mode of practice.

ACS Style

Noredine Mahdjoub; Marc Kalina; Alex Augustine; Elizabeth Tilley. Innovating traditional building materials in Chembe, Malawi: assessing post-consumer waste glass and burnt clay bricks for performance and circularity. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering 2021, 14, 874 -883.

AMA Style

Noredine Mahdjoub, Marc Kalina, Alex Augustine, Elizabeth Tilley. Innovating traditional building materials in Chembe, Malawi: assessing post-consumer waste glass and burnt clay bricks for performance and circularity. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering. 2021; 14 (4):874-883.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Noredine Mahdjoub; Marc Kalina; Alex Augustine; Elizabeth Tilley. 2021. "Innovating traditional building materials in Chembe, Malawi: assessing post-consumer waste glass and burnt clay bricks for performance and circularity." International Journal of Sustainable Engineering 14, no. 4: 874-883.

Journal article
Published: 05 November 2020 in Water Research
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Lack of access to safe drinking water on premises remains widespread in low- and middle-income countries. Interventions to improve access to safe water at the point of collection are essential, but water safety at the point of consumption is also an important consideration. This research aimed to 1) improve understanding of households’ practices in collecting water with respect to seasonality, and 2) to further assess risk associated with post-collection contamination from the point of collection to the point of consumption. A seasonal cohort study, including 115 households, was conducted in Malawi. Along with household surveys and observations, samples of water were tested for microbial water quality at four different stages of water collection: water sources, collection container, storage container, cup of drinking water. Using E.coli as an indicator of contamination (cfu/100 ml), the risk of post-collection contamination was assessed. The results indicate that most water sources were free from contamination; contamination was proportionally lower in the dry season when more sources were found to be classified as having a very low risk of contamination. However, the level of risk of contamination was more likely to increase following collection in water sources that were initially free from contamination. Results show that the degradation in water quality from the point of collection to the point of consumption was more important in the rainy season, which is likely to be driven by the effect of seasonality on the household environment. Filling the collection container at the point of collection and storage at the point of consumption were found to be critical stages for an increased risk of E. coli contamination. Understanding household practices in accessing and handling water during both rainy and dry season is necessary to target appropriate interventions to reduce post-collection contamination.

ACS Style

Alexandra Cassivi; Elizabeth Tilley; E. Owen D. Waygood; Caetano Dorea. Household practices in accessing drinking water and post collection contamination: A seasonal cohort study in Malawi. Water Research 2020, 189, 116607 .

AMA Style

Alexandra Cassivi, Elizabeth Tilley, E. Owen D. Waygood, Caetano Dorea. Household practices in accessing drinking water and post collection contamination: A seasonal cohort study in Malawi. Water Research. 2020; 189 ():116607.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alexandra Cassivi; Elizabeth Tilley; E. Owen D. Waygood; Caetano Dorea. 2020. "Household practices in accessing drinking water and post collection contamination: A seasonal cohort study in Malawi." Water Research 189, no. : 116607.

Journal article
Published: 08 October 2020 in Journal of Environmental Management
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Blantyre, Malawi has approximately one million people who rely on pit latrines for sanitation and yet there is a limited pit-emptying sector to empty, transport and safely discharge the faecal sludge. Over three years, we monitored the volume of sludge that was safely discharged at the authorized Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) and in parallel, estimated the volume of sludge that is currently buried within pit latrines of Blantyre, based on measurements at 321 households. Comparing the volumes of sludge emptied to the volumes of sludge buried, we highlight the fact that a) there is a suspiciously low volume of pit-derived faecal sludge being safely disposed; b) most safely discharged sludge is taken from the small proportion of septic tanks in the city, and not from pit latrines; and c) that the cost of safely discharging does not seem to correlate with the volumes delivered (despite an option to discharge for free). There is a large and growing amount of sludge buried beneath the city which will need to be safely emptied and treated in coming years. The city and the WWTPs must move quickly to ensure that the businesses and infrastructure are prepared for the future faecal sludge management challenges that lay ahead, especially if they are to achieve SDG 6 by 2030.

ACS Style

Mabvuto Yesaya; Elizabeth Tilley. Sludge bomb: The impending sludge emptying and treatment crisis in Blantyre, Malawi. Journal of Environmental Management 2020, 277, 111474 .

AMA Style

Mabvuto Yesaya, Elizabeth Tilley. Sludge bomb: The impending sludge emptying and treatment crisis in Blantyre, Malawi. Journal of Environmental Management. 2020; 277 ():111474.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mabvuto Yesaya; Elizabeth Tilley. 2020. "Sludge bomb: The impending sludge emptying and treatment crisis in Blantyre, Malawi." Journal of Environmental Management 277, no. : 111474.

Journal article
Published: 04 August 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Monitoring access to drinking water is complex, especially in settings where on-premises water supply is not available. Although self-reported data are generally used to estimate coverage of access, the relationship between self-reported time travelled and true time travelled is not well known in the context of water fetching. Further, water fetching is likely to impact the quantity and quality of water a household uses, but the data supporting this relationship is not well documented. The objective of this study was to appraise the validity and reliability of self-reported measurements used to estimate access coverage. A case study was conducted in Southern Malawi to enhance understanding of the measures available to assess and monitor access to drinking water in view of generating global estimates. Self-reported data were compared with objective observations and direct measurements of water quantity, quality and accessibility. Findings from this study highlight the variations between different measures such as self-reported and recorded collection time and raise awareness with regard to the use of self-reported data in the context of fetching water. Alternatives to self-reported indicators such as GPS-based or direct observations could be considered in surveys in view of improving data accuracy and global estimates.

ACS Style

Alexandra Cassivi; Elizabeth Tilley; E. Owen D. Waygood; Caetano Dorea. Evaluating self-reported measures and alternatives to monitor access to drinking water: A case study in Malawi. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 750, 141516 .

AMA Style

Alexandra Cassivi, Elizabeth Tilley, E. Owen D. Waygood, Caetano Dorea. Evaluating self-reported measures and alternatives to monitor access to drinking water: A case study in Malawi. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 750 ():141516.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alexandra Cassivi; Elizabeth Tilley; E. Owen D. Waygood; Caetano Dorea. 2020. "Evaluating self-reported measures and alternatives to monitor access to drinking water: A case study in Malawi." Science of The Total Environment 750, no. : 141516.

Journal article
Published: 24 July 2020 in Detritus
Reads 0
Downloads 0

‘Waste’ is everywhere, a common aspect of daily life in both the West and the Global South. However, the ways in which we as individuals understand it as a problem is far from universal. It does not exist independently from the people it affects, rather, waste, as a problem, is continually made and remade through human practice. The purpose of this article is to explore how and why certain ‘waste’ items are and become understood as problems. We adopt Foucault’s (1984) notion of ‘problematisa-tion’, as an analytical lens for conceptualising processes of problem formation through the eyes of two different groups working within and on the margins of Mzedi Dump Site in Blantyre, Malawi: subsistence maize growers and informal waste pickers. Drawing on extensive qualitative and ethnographic fieldwork, our findings suggests that for those working at Mzedi, waste problematisations are shaped by the tangible: the visible, and often painful impacts that Mzedi’s hazards have on their lives and livelihoods. However, the ultimate problematisation of waste lies in its utility, i.e. ‘good’ waste, is internalised based on its value. ‘Bad’ trash however, is problematised because it has no value, and is therefore considered useless, a problem taking up time and space that could be utilised more profit-ably. Understanding these processes of problem formation, and the degree to which waste problematisations are personal and/or socially constructed, has important ramifications for the adoption of appropriate waste management strategies and should inform a more nuanced and inclusive waste management studies discourse.

ACS Style

Marc Kalina; Elizabeth Tilley. ‘BAD’ TRASH: PROBLEMATISING WASTE IN BLANTYRE, MALAWI. Detritus 2020, 187 -200.

AMA Style

Marc Kalina, Elizabeth Tilley. ‘BAD’ TRASH: PROBLEMATISING WASTE IN BLANTYRE, MALAWI. Detritus. 2020; (12):187-200.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marc Kalina; Elizabeth Tilley. 2020. "‘BAD’ TRASH: PROBLEMATISING WASTE IN BLANTYRE, MALAWI." Detritus , no. 12: 187-200.

Journal article
Published: 16 July 2020 in Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Using human excreta derived fertiliser (HEDF) in agriculture reduces dependence on diminishing phosphorus rock reserves, improves soil health, and facilitates sustainable nutrient recycling. Such schemes have particular scope for expansion in peri-urban areas of low-income countries, where large quantities of faecal sludge from on-site sanitation systems are available. However, public acceptability is a critical unknown factor. This study used surveys of 534 peri-urban subsistence farmers in Blantyre, Malawi, to investigate the public acceptability of HEDF. Two factors are highlighted as having a particularly strong association with acceptability: showing a sample of composted, granulated faecal sludge to participants at the start of the survey, and having heard of HEDF before. For instance, almost all participants who were shown the composted, granulated sample and had prior knowledge of HEDF were willing to buy maize grown in HEDF (96%). Conversely, less than a third of participants who had not heard of HEDF before and were not shown the composted, granulated sample were willing to do so (30%). Maize was the most widely accepted crop for use with HEDF, as there is perceived to be little contact between the edible parts and the ground. This suggests that HEDF has the potential to be widely accepted by subsistence maize farmers and the general public in Malawi. However, uptake rates could be substantially improved with public engagement campaigns involving demonstrations or samples of a visually appealing product, and by promoting the concept through channels such as farmer radio programmes or agricultural extension workers.

ACS Style

Heather Roxburgh; Kate Hampshire; Elizabeth A Tilley; David M Oliver; Richard S Quilliam. Being shown samples of composted, granulated faecal sludge strongly influences acceptability of its use in peri-urban subsistence agriculture. Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X 2020, 7, 100041 .

AMA Style

Heather Roxburgh, Kate Hampshire, Elizabeth A Tilley, David M Oliver, Richard S Quilliam. Being shown samples of composted, granulated faecal sludge strongly influences acceptability of its use in peri-urban subsistence agriculture. Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X. 2020; 7 ():100041.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Heather Roxburgh; Kate Hampshire; Elizabeth A Tilley; David M Oliver; Richard S Quilliam. 2020. "Being shown samples of composted, granulated faecal sludge strongly influences acceptability of its use in peri-urban subsistence agriculture." Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X 7, no. : 100041.

Journal article
Published: 24 June 2020 in Worldwide Waste: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Elizabeth Tilley; Marc Kalina. “We Are Already Sick”: Infectious Waste Management and Inequality in the Time of Covid-19, a Reflection from Blantyre, Malawi. Worldwide Waste: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 2020, 3, 1 .

AMA Style

Elizabeth Tilley, Marc Kalina. “We Are Already Sick”: Infectious Waste Management and Inequality in the Time of Covid-19, a Reflection from Blantyre, Malawi. Worldwide Waste: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies. 2020; 3 (1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elizabeth Tilley; Marc Kalina. 2020. "“We Are Already Sick”: Infectious Waste Management and Inequality in the Time of Covid-19, a Reflection from Blantyre, Malawi." Worldwide Waste: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 3, no. 1: 1.

Journal article
Published: 23 June 2020 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Few studies have attempted to measure the differences between self-reported and observed food hygiene practices in a household setting. We conducted a study to measure the level of agreement between self-reported and observed food hygiene practices among child caregivers with children under the age of five years in rural Malawi. Fifty-eight child caregivers from an intervention and 29 from a control group were recruited into the study. At the end of a nine-month food hygiene intervention, household observations were conducted followed by self-reported surveys. Overall, practices were found to be more frequently reported than observed in both groups. However, the difference between self-reports and observed practices was minimal in the intervention compared to the control group. The odds ratio results confirm that more desirable practices were observed in the intervention group compared to the control group. Despite the effects of reactivity during observations, the study results imply that the intervention group did not just improve their knowledge, but also translated the messaging into better practice. Researchers and implementing agencies in water, sanitation and hygiene and food hygiene sector should ensure that interventions are context-appropriate, and that effective methods of observation are used to confirm any reported effects of an intervention.

ACS Style

Kondwani Chidziwisano; Elizabeth Tilley; Tracy Morse. Self-Reported Versus Observed Measures: Validation of Child Caregiver Food Hygiene Practices in Rural Malawi. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 4498 .

AMA Style

Kondwani Chidziwisano, Elizabeth Tilley, Tracy Morse. Self-Reported Versus Observed Measures: Validation of Child Caregiver Food Hygiene Practices in Rural Malawi. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17 (12):4498.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kondwani Chidziwisano; Elizabeth Tilley; Tracy Morse. 2020. "Self-Reported Versus Observed Measures: Validation of Child Caregiver Food Hygiene Practices in Rural Malawi." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 12: 4498.

Journal article
Published: 13 April 2020 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Diarrhoeal disease in children under five in low income settings has been associated with multiple environmental exposure pathways, including complementary foods. Conducted from February to December 2018 in rural Malawi, this before and after trial with a control used diarrhoeal disease as a primary outcome, to measure the impact of a food hygiene intervention (food hygiene + handwashing) relative to a food hygiene and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) intervention (food hygiene + handwashing + faeces management + water management). The 31-week intervention was delivered by community-based coordinators through community events (n = 2), cluster group meetings (n = 17) and household visits (n = 14). Diarrhoeal disease was self-reported and measured through an end line survey, and daily diaries completed by caregivers. Difference-in-differences results show a 13-percentage point reduction in self-reported diarrhoea compared to the control group. There were also significant increases in the presence of proxy measures in each of the treatment groups (e.g., the presence of soap). We conclude that food hygiene interventions (including hand washing with soap) can significantly reduce diarrhoeal disease prevalence in children under five years in a low-income setting. Therefore, the promotion of food hygiene practices using a behaviour-centred approach should be embedded in nutrition and WASH policies and programming.

ACS Style

Tracy Morse; Elizabeth Tilley; Kondwani Chidziwisano; Rossanie Malolo; Janelisa Musaya. Health Outcomes of an Integrated Behaviour-Centred Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Food Safety Intervention–A Randomised before and after Trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 2648 .

AMA Style

Tracy Morse, Elizabeth Tilley, Kondwani Chidziwisano, Rossanie Malolo, Janelisa Musaya. Health Outcomes of an Integrated Behaviour-Centred Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Food Safety Intervention–A Randomised before and after Trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17 (8):2648.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tracy Morse; Elizabeth Tilley; Kondwani Chidziwisano; Rossanie Malolo; Janelisa Musaya. 2020. "Health Outcomes of an Integrated Behaviour-Centred Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Food Safety Intervention–A Randomised before and after Trial." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 8: 2648.

Original research article
Published: 29 January 2020 in Frontiers in Environmental Science
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Small towns are growing in size and number, but compared to the big cities that fuel economies, or rural areas that feed nations, small towns are generally less prioritized by governments and donors, both because they appear less immediately troublesome and because they defy easy classification. As such, growth has largely been unplanned for and remains unregulated, which means that responsible governments lack the commensurate tax base and political might to plan for and aquire the services they need to handle the changes that they face. For exactly these reasons, the Community-Led Urban Environmental Sanitation (CLUES) tool was developed to assist small towns with the planning and implementation of environmental sanitation infrastructure and services but we found no documented cases of it being used or evaluated. The goals of this work were to first, document the information obtained from the CLUES process as a case study for the condition of environmental sanitation in a small town in Malawi; and secondly, to evaluate the technical, political, and financial feasibility of the CLUES manual in a Malawian context. As facilitators, we guided the community and government through each of the 7 CLUES steps over the course of 2 years to understand the actual demands of the guidelines from the perspective of the user. Once the process was completed, we were able to critically reflect on our stated objectives and present those results here. The results of the process revealed that water quality was good (no measured E. coli at 45 water points) as was access to a sanitation facility, though water quantity was insufficient and fecal sludge management and solid waste collection required Council attention. However, because baseline data were outdated or non-existent, the data collection activities required to determine the status consumed unexpected amounts of time, and the results were, because of internal movement and politics, difficult to disseminate and leverage. Most importantly, stakeholder participation was limited and relied on participation and transportation payments, which have become a permanent feature of community development in Malawi. Following the CLUES process was expensive, time consuming and politically fraught; it is unlikely that any small town in Malawi would be able to follow the process as outlined. A simplified version, conducted by an in-house planning department should focus on identifying gaps, needs, and priorities, as a way of not only addressing environmental sanitation issues, but as a way to kick-start better data collection and management that can underscore long-term planning activities.

ACS Style

Wema Meranda Mtika; Elizabeth Tilley. Environmental Sanitation Planning: Feasibility of the CLUES Framework in a Malawian Small Town. Frontiers in Environmental Science 2020, 7, 1 .

AMA Style

Wema Meranda Mtika, Elizabeth Tilley. Environmental Sanitation Planning: Feasibility of the CLUES Framework in a Malawian Small Town. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 2020; 7 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wema Meranda Mtika; Elizabeth Tilley. 2020. "Environmental Sanitation Planning: Feasibility of the CLUES Framework in a Malawian Small Town." Frontiers in Environmental Science 7, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 27 August 2019 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Diarrheal disease in under-five children remains high in Sub-Saharan Africa; primarily attributed to environmental pathogen exposure through poorly managed water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) pathways, including foods. This formative study in rural Malawi used a theoretical base to determine the personal, social, environmental, and psychosocial factors that are to be considered in the development of an integrated intervention for WASH and food hygiene. Using a mixed methods approach, a stakeholder analysis was followed by data collection pertaining to 1079 children between the ages of four to 90 weeks: observations (n = 79); assessment of risks, attitudes, norms and self-regulation (RANAS) model (n = 323); structured questionnaires (n = 1000); focus group discussions (n = 9); and, in-depth interviews (n = 9) (PACTR201703002084166). We identified four thematic areas for the diarrheal disease intervention: hand washing with soap; food hygiene; feces management (human and animal); and, water management. The contextual issues included: the high level of knowledge on good hygiene practices not reflected in observed habits; inclusion of all family members incorporating primary caregivers (female) and financial controllers (male); and, endemic poverty as a significant barrier to hygiene infrastructure and consumable availability. The psychosocial factors identified for intervention development included social norms, abilities, and self-regulation. The resulting eight-month context specific intervention to be evaluated is described.

ACS Style

Tracy Morse; Kondwani Chidziwisano; Elizabeth Tilley; Rossanie Malolo; Save Kumwenda; Janelisa Musaya; Sandy Cairncross. Developing a Contextually Appropriate Integrated Hygiene Intervention to Achieve Sustained Reductions in Diarrheal Diseases. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4656 .

AMA Style

Tracy Morse, Kondwani Chidziwisano, Elizabeth Tilley, Rossanie Malolo, Save Kumwenda, Janelisa Musaya, Sandy Cairncross. Developing a Contextually Appropriate Integrated Hygiene Intervention to Achieve Sustained Reductions in Diarrheal Diseases. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (17):4656.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tracy Morse; Kondwani Chidziwisano; Elizabeth Tilley; Rossanie Malolo; Save Kumwenda; Janelisa Musaya; Sandy Cairncross. 2019. "Developing a Contextually Appropriate Integrated Hygiene Intervention to Achieve Sustained Reductions in Diarrheal Diseases." Sustainability 11, no. 17: 4656.

Journal article
Published: 17 June 2019 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Diarrhoeal disease remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the under-five population, particularly in low income settings such as sub-Saharan Africa. Despite significant progress in sanitation and water access, faecal-oral infections persist in these populations. Therefore, a better understanding of these transmission pathways, and how potential risk factors can be reduced within low income contexts is needed. This study, conducted in Southern Malawi from June to October 2017, used a mixed methods approach to collect data from household surveys (n = 323), checklists (n = 31), structured observations (n = 80), and microbiological food samples (n = 20). Results showed that food prepared for immediate consumption (primarily porridge for children) posed a low health risk. Poor hygiene practices increased the risk of contamination from shared family meals. Faecal and nosocomial bacteria were associated with poor hand hygiene and unhygienic eating conditions. Leftover food storage and inadequate pre-consumption heating increased the risk of contamination. Improvements in food hygiene and hand hygiene practices at critical points could reduce the risk of diarrhoeal disease for children under 2 years but must consider the contextual structural barriers to improved practice like access to handwashing facilities, soap, food and water storage.

ACS Style

Kondwani Chidziwisano; Elizabeth Tilley; Rossanie Malolo; Save Kumwenda; Janelisa Musaya; Tracy Morse. Risk Factors Associated with Feeding Children under 2 Years in Rural Malawi—A Formative Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2019, 16, 2146 .

AMA Style

Kondwani Chidziwisano, Elizabeth Tilley, Rossanie Malolo, Save Kumwenda, Janelisa Musaya, Tracy Morse. Risk Factors Associated with Feeding Children under 2 Years in Rural Malawi—A Formative Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16 (12):2146.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kondwani Chidziwisano; Elizabeth Tilley; Rossanie Malolo; Save Kumwenda; Janelisa Musaya; Tracy Morse. 2019. "Risk Factors Associated with Feeding Children under 2 Years in Rural Malawi—A Formative Study." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 12: 2146.

Journal article
Published: 17 April 2019 in Water
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Informally vended water is an important source of water for marginalized people who do not have access to formal or public sources. In Malawi, hand-tied sachets of water are common but not regulated, and the quality of the water and hygienic practices during packaging are unclear. We analyzed microbial concentrations in the source water (origin), internal water (packaged) and on the external surface (plastic bag) of sachets from 76 vendors operating in the busy Mwanza crossing into Malawi from Mozambique. The results indicated that the majority (75%) of the water sources met the WHO guidelines (

ACS Style

David Manjaya; Elizabeth Tilley; Sara J. Marks. Informally Vended Sachet Water: Handling Practices and Microbial Water Quality. Water 2019, 11, 800 .

AMA Style

David Manjaya, Elizabeth Tilley, Sara J. Marks. Informally Vended Sachet Water: Handling Practices and Microbial Water Quality. Water. 2019; 11 (4):800.

Chicago/Turabian Style

David Manjaya; Elizabeth Tilley; Sara J. Marks. 2019. "Informally Vended Sachet Water: Handling Practices and Microbial Water Quality." Water 11, no. 4: 800.

Journal article
Published: 27 November 2018 in Recycling
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In the city of Blantyre, much of the generated municipal waste is biowaste, typically mixed with other waste fractions and disposed at the city’s dumpsite. Energy and nutrients could be recovered; however, with many biowaste options available, choosing what technology to implement is difficult. Selecting Organic Waste Treatment Technology (SOWATT) is a tool that supports decision making for selecting a biowaste treatment option considering social, technical, and environmental aspects. SOWATT was used to evaluate options for Blantyre’s Limbe Market. Anaerobic digestion, black soldier fly processing, slow pyrolysis, in-vessel composting, windrow composting, vermicomposting, and wet-biomass-briquetting were considered as options. The performance of each alternative was assessed based on five objectives by government, NGO, and market-based stakeholders in order to determine the most acceptable option for the greatest number of people: something that is rarely done, or if it is the preferences are not rigorously quantified (e.g., stakeholder workshops) and/or weighted against specific objectives. However, given the novelty of the ranking-solicitation process, some participants struggled with the variety of options presented, and further iterations of SOWATT will address this limitation. Ultimately, vermicomposting scored highest of all alternatives and could best achieve the five objectives as prioritized by the stakeholders when implemented.

ACS Style

Wrixon Mpanang’Ombe; Elizabeth Tilley; Imanol Zabaleta; Christian Zurbrügg. A Biowaste Treatment Technology Assessment in Malawi. Recycling 2018, 3, 55 .

AMA Style

Wrixon Mpanang’Ombe, Elizabeth Tilley, Imanol Zabaleta, Christian Zurbrügg. A Biowaste Treatment Technology Assessment in Malawi. Recycling. 2018; 3 (4):55.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wrixon Mpanang’Ombe; Elizabeth Tilley; Imanol Zabaleta; Christian Zurbrügg. 2018. "A Biowaste Treatment Technology Assessment in Malawi." Recycling 3, no. 4: 55.