Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Drivers of sustainability performance in health and sanitation projects

A systematic literature review

Bibliographic Data

ID22203744
AuthorsMahadih Kyambade (0009-0006-0257-9601, Makerere University, corresponding author), Rogers Mwesigwa (0000-0002-1887-3251, Makerere University), Kassim Alinda (0000-0003-1149-6841, Makerere University), Sulait Tumwine (0000-0003-1139-7050, Makerere University), Freddie Lwanga (0000-0002-3445-9552, Makerere University)
Year2025
Volume12
Pages102046
Publication date2025-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Sciences & Humanities Open (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2590-2911 • E-ISSN: 2590-2911
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.102046
OpenAlexW4414841630
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited106

This study systematically reviews empirical literature published between 2018 and 2025 to examine how leadership, governance, stakeholder engagement, and resilience contribute to sustainability performance of health and sanitation projects, particularly in developing countries especially Sub-Saharan Africa. The review aims to synthesize conceptual and empirical developments and identify key gaps that may inform future research and policy. Adopting a systematic literature review methodology, this study analyzed peer-reviewed journal articles drawn from major academic databases including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight, SpringerLink, Wiley Online Library and Google Scholar. Studies were selected based on relevance, methodological rigor, and focus on low-resource contexts. The review included qualitative quantitative and mixed method studies. The review identifies a growing body of evidence supporting the importance of responsible leadership, institutional governance, stakeholder engagement, and resilience in enhancing health and sanitation project sustainability performance. However, findings also reveal several limitations, including; (i) limited context-specific research in developing countries such as Uganda, (ii) fragmented examination of the combined effects of these factors, (iii) methodological inconsistencies across studies, and (iv) a lack of longitudinal investigations. The study emphasizes the importance of integrated, context-sensitive frameworks to guide sustainable development efforts in the health and sanitation sectors. This review addresses a critical gap by focusing on the interplay among leadership, governance, stakeholder engagement, and resilience dimensions often studied in isolation. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, development agencies, and researchers working in resource-constrained settings, especially in sub-Saharan Africa

Public health · Sanitation · Sustainability · Systematic review · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development

  • Psychological Resilience and Coping Among Women Living With Chronic Hypertension in Rural Uganda

    Open Access•Mahadih Kyambade, Afulah Namatovu•INQUIRY The Journal of Health…•2026

  • Exploring the role of institutional governance in enhancing sustainability performance of health and sanitation projects in Uganda

    Mahadih Kyambade, Rogers Mwesigwa et al.•Social Responsibility Journal•2026

  • Perceived red tape and occupational commitment among primary care physicians

    Open Access•Huichen Chang•Frontiers in Public Health•2026

  • Unpacking responsible leadership and its impact on sustainability performance

    Mahadih Kyambade, Rogers Mwesigwa et al.•International Journal of…•2026

  • A Qualitative Exploration of Social Sustainability Performance in Health and Sanitation Projects

    Open Access•Mahadih Kyambade, Rogers Mwesigwa et al.•Sustainable Development•2026

  • Water Conservation in the Era of Global Climate Change

    Binota Thokchom, Parameswar K Iyer et al.•Water Conservation in the Era of…•2021

  • The Corporate Governance of Environmental Sustainability

    Open Access•R V Aguilera, Juan Alberto Aragón Correa et al.•Journal of Management•2021

  • The impact of green human resource management practices on sustainable performance in healthcare organisations

    Open Access•Sharifa Khalid Mousa, Mohammed Othman•Journal of Cleaner Production•2020

  • Exploring the theory, barriers and enablers for patient and public involvement across health, social care and patient safety

    Open Access•Josephine Ocloo, Sara Garfield et al.•Health Research Policy and Systems•2021

  • The Sustainability of Evidence-Based Interventions and Practices in Public Health and Health Care

    Open Access•Rachel C Shelton, Brittany Rhoades Cooper et al.•Annual Review of Public Health•2018

  • Community participation in health services development, implementation, and evaluation

    Open Access•Victoria Haldane, Fiona L H Chuah et al.•PLoS ONE•2019

  • Advancing gender diversity in leadership

    Open Access•Monica Tushabe, Mahadih Kyambade et al.•Cogent Social Sciences•2025

  • Resilience and recovery from an environmental disaster

    Open Access•Mahadih Kyambade, Luke Sewante et al.•Cogent Social Sciences•2025

  • Challenges facing sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene achievement in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa

    Obadia Kyetuza Bishoge•Local Environment•2021

  • Health promoting universities

    Open Access•Mark Dooris, Susan Powell et al.•Health Education•2021

  • City Water Resilience Framework

    Open Access•Panchali Saikia, George Beane et al.•Sustainable Cities and Society•2022

  • The contribution of community health systems to resilience

    Open Access•Angeli Rawat, Jonas Karlström et al.•Journal of Global Health•2022

  • Water Justice and Integrated Water Resources Management

    Open Access•Heliodoro Ochoa-García, Stephan Rist•Human Ecology•2018

  • Challenges of network interaction in managing sustainable development projects in developing countries

    Open Access•Olga Dziubaniuk, Maria Ivanova-Gongne et al.•Critical Perspectives on…•2021

  • Shared Sanitation Management and the Role of Social Capital

    Open Access•Tess Shiras, Oliver Cummings et al.•International Journal of…•2018

  • Improving Uptake and Sustainability of Sanitation Interventions in Timor-Leste

    Open Access•Naomi E Clarke, C Dyer et al.•International Journal of…•2021

  • Health Outcomes of an Integrated Behaviour-Centred Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Food Safety Intervention–A Randomised before and after Trial

    Open Access•Tracy Morse, Elizabeth Tilley et al.•International Journal of…•2020

  • Re-conceptualizing sustainable urban sanitation in Uganda

    Open Access•Japheth Kwiringira, Robert Kabumbuli et al.•BMC Public Health•2021

  • Financial, institutional, environmental, technical, and social (Fiets) aspects of water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions in indigenous - rural Indonesia

    Open Access•D Daniel, Dennis Djohan et al.•BMC Public Health•2021

  • An innovative leadership development initiative to support building everyday resilience in health systems

    Open Access•Jacinta Nzinga, Mwanamvua Boga et al.•Health Policy and Planning•2021

  • Towards more sustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) projects in Magway Region, Myanmar

    Open Access•Cho Zin Win, Warit Jawjit et al.•Environment Development and…•2023

  • Frameworks to assess health systems governance

    Open Access•Thidar Pyone, Helen Smith et al.•Health Policy and Planning•2017

  • NGOs fostering transitions towards sustainable urban sanitation in low-income countries

    Open Access•Mara J Van Welie, Henny A Romijn et al.•Environmental Science & Policy•2017

  • Decentralization and Development in Contemporary Uganda

    Elliott Green•Regional & Federal Studies•2015

  • The emergence of Urban Community Resilience Initiatives During the Covid-19 Pandemic

    Open Access•Jan Fransen, Daniela Ochoa Peralta et al.•European Journal of Development…•2021

  • Governance and water security

    Open Access•Vanessa Lucena Empinotti, J Budds et al.•Geoforum•2018

  • The role of community participation for sustainable integrated neglected tropical diseases and water, sanitation and hygiene intervention programs

    Open Access•Shirin Madon, Mwele Ntuli Malecela et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2018

Unique citing works5
Citations per year5
Citation span2026 - 2026 (1)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 5
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae