Robert Dreibelbis
Biographic Data
| ID | 1724849 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Robert Dreibelbis |
| GIVEN NAMES | Robert |
| FAMILY NAME | Dreibelbis |
| SIGNATURE | DREIBELBIS R |
| AFFILIATIONS | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9716-0419 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 40 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 55 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 40 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Enablers and barriers of handwashing with soap in low-income settlements of Mombasa, Kenya
Handwashing with soap (HWWS) is an effective public health preventive measure. Review studies indicate that interventions on handwashing with soap reduce the risk of diarrhoeal diseases by approximately 30% and respiratory tract infections by up to 17% (Ross, Bick, Ayieko, et al., 2023; Wolf, Hubbard, Brauer, et al., 2022). Studies have also shown that HWWS, combined with interventions on water and sanitation, results in improved growth outcomes …
Effectiveness of domestic food hygiene interventions on the microbiological quality of child food and childhood diarrhoea
Background Foodborne diseases are an important cause of global morbidity and mortality, particularly among children who often experience diarrhoeal illnesses linked to foodborne enteric infections. Evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce diarrhoea remains limited. This review synthesised evidence on the effectiveness of domestic food hygiene interventions on microbiological quality of child food and diarrhoea in children under fi…
Community-Led Total Sanitation implementation in Malawi
Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) seeks to eliminate open defecation by empowering households to adopt improved sanitation and hygiene behaviours. While widely integrated into national sanitation strategies of low- and middle-income countries, limited evidence exists on how implementation processes drive behaviour change. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation fidelity, reach, dose, adaptation, and mechanisms of impact of a CLTS inte…
Wash and learn
School-age children in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) face health and educational challenges due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools (WinS). Evidence for the impact of WinS interventions is limited and inconsistent, and previous systematic reviews have faced challenges in synthesising data due to varied interventions, study designs and outcome measures, although most do not examine this variability in mor…
Determinants of access to basic handwashing facilities and handwashing with soap in low-income areas of four Kenyan cities
Handwashing with soap is an effective public health measure against infectious disease and is enabled by availability of handwashing facilities, soap and sufficient water. However, access to handwashing facilities in low-income urban areas is often low, which hinders effective handwashing with soap. We assessed access to basic handwashing facilities and handwashing with soap practices in low-income areas across four cities in Kenya. A cross-secti…
Assessment of infrastructure, behaviours, and user satisfaction of guardian waiting shelters for secondary level hospitals in southern Malawi
Guardian Waiting Shelters (GWSs) are an essential component of the Malawi’s health care system as they serve as a temporary home for patient guardians while taking care of their relatives admitted to the hospital, and expectant mothers. Although GWSs play a crucial role in Malawi’s healthcare system, past studies have primarily concentrated on maternity waiting homes, neglecting the role and importance of GWSs. The study examines GWS management s…
Inclusion of persons living with disabilities in a district-wide sanitation programme
Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) is embraced as a key strategy to achieve universal sanitation coverage (Sustainable Development Goal 6.2). Although inclusion is identified as a predictor of CLTS success, people living with disabilities are often excluded from community sanitation programmes and there is limited research exploring CLTS participation amongst people living with disabilities. This study aims to explore the extent to which peopl…
Coping strategies for household water insecurity in rural Gambia, mediating factors in the relationship between weather, water and health
To reduce the risks to health, interventions need to address the drivers of water insecurity to reduce the need for these risky coping behaviours. In the short term, the promotion of behavioural adaptations that can help buffer health risks, such as water treatment, may be beneficial
How are hygiene programmes designed in crises? Qualitative interviews with humanitarians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq
Hygiene programming in crises-affected settings could be strengthened by initiatives targeted at supporting humanitarian staff during the pre-implementation programme design phase. This may include rapid assessment tools to better understand behavioural determinants in crisis-affected contexts; the use of a theory of change to inform the selection of programme activities; and funding mechanisms which encourage equitable partnerships, phased progr…
Urban Water Access and Use in the Kivus
Increasing the availability and reliability of community water sources is a primary pathway through which many water supply interventions aim to achieve health gains in communities with limited access to water. While previous studies in rural settings have shown that greater access to water is associated both with increased overall consumption of water and use of water for hygiene related activities, there is limited evidence from urban environme…
A Mixed Methods Process Evaluation of a Food Hygiene Intervention in Low-Income Informal Neighbourhoods of Kisumu, Kenya
Future interventions should seek to explicitly target contextual factors such as secondary caregivers and promote food hygiene interventions as independent of each other
Costs of hand hygiene for all in household settings
INTRODUCTION: Domestic hand hygiene could prevent over 500 000 attributable deaths per year, but 6 in 10 people in least developed countries (LDCs) do not have a handwashing facility (HWF) with soap and water available at home. We estimated the economic costs of universal access to basic hand hygiene services in household settings in 46 LDCs. METHODS: Our model combines quantities of households with no HWF and prices of promotion campaigns, HWFs,…
Hand Hygiene during the Early Neonatal Period
Our findings indicate that an effective intervention in this context should be multi-modal to address the different key behaviour determinants and target a wide range of caregivers
Using path analysis to test theory of change
MapSan trial registration: NCT02362932 Feb-13-2015
Effectiveness of behaviour change techniques used in hand hygiene interventions targeting older children – A systematic review
How does sanitation influence people's quality of life? Qualitative research in low-income areas of Maputo, Mozambique
Preventing infectious disease has often been the primary rationale for public investment in sanitation. However, broader aspects of sanitation such as privacy and safety are important to users across settings, and have been linked to mental wellbeing. The aim of this study is to investigate what people most value about sanitation in low-income areas of Maputo, Mozambique, to inform a definition and conceptual model of sanitation-related quality o…
How to set up government-led national hygiene communication campaigns to combat Covid-19
While large-scale changes in population behaviour are required to reduce the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus, the emergency context is not conducive to the sort of careful communications planning that would normally be required to meet such a task. Rapid strategic communications planning in a pandemic by governments is, however, possible and necessary. Steps include setting up a dedicated communications t…
Risk factors for child food contamination in low‐income neighbourhoods of Maputo, Mozambique
In low- and middle-income countries, food may be a critical transmission route for pathogens causing childhood diarrhoea, but basic food hygiene is often overlooked in public health strategies. Characterising child food contamination and its risk factors could help prioritise interventions to reduce foodborne diarrhoeal disease, especially in low-income urban areas where the diarrhoeal disease burden is often high. This cross-sectional study comp…
Hygiene During Childbirth
Background: Infections acquired during labour and delivery are a significant cause of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Adherence to hand hygiene protocols is a critical component of infection prevention strategies, but few studies have closely examined the hand hygiene of health care providers with sufficient detail to understand infection risks and prioritize prevention strategies. Methods: This observational study was conducted in si…
Enteric Pathogen Diversity in Infant Foods in Low-Income Neighborhoods of Kisumu, Kenya
Pediatric diarrheal disease remains the second most common cause of preventable illness and death among children under the age of five, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is limited information regarding the role of food in pathogen transmission in LMICs. For this study, we examined the frequency of enteric pathogen occurrence and co-occurrence in 127 infant weaning foods in Kisumu, Kenya, using a multi-pathogen…
The impact of an operation and management intervention on toilet usability in schools in the Philippines
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03204175, June 2017 prior to participant enrolment
Behaviour settings theory applied to domestic water use in Nigeria
Shared latrines in Maputo, Mozambique
BACKGROUND: Approximately 18% of Sub-Saharan Africa's urban population relies on shared sanitation facilities, which are shared by one or more households. While there is growing recognition of sanitation's relationship with stress and well-being - particularly among women - most research has focused on rural populations and the transition from open defecation and/or unimproved latrines to private shared sanitation. This study explores sanitation-…
Setting priorities for humanitarian water, sanitation and hygiene research
Recent systematic reviews have highlighted a paucity of rigorous evidence to guide water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions in humanitarian crises. In June 2017, the Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) programme of Elrha, convened a meeting of representatives from international response agencies, research institutions and donor organisations active in the field of humanitarian WASH to identify research priorities, discuss …
Women’s sanitation practices in informal settlements
For decades, countries throughout the world have failed to meet sanitation-related development goals. Access to safe sanitation is undeniably linked to improved health outcomes; yet, 2.4 billion people, globally, still lack access. The persistent failure to meet sanitation goals suggests that our understanding of the factors that influence sustainable sanitation access and utilisation is incomplete. Despite growing availability of toilets in info…
Sanitation-related psychosocial stress
While sanitation interventions have focused primarily on child health, women's unique health risks from inadequate sanitation are gaining recognition as a priority issue. This study examines the range of sanitation-related psychosocial stressors during routine sanitation practices in Odisha, India. Between August 2013 and March 2014, we conducted in-depth interviews with 56 women in four life stages: adolescent, newly married, pregnant and establ…
Water, sanitation, and primary school attendance
How does sanitation influence people's quality of life? Qualitative research in low-income areas of Maputo, Mozambique
Preventing infectious disease has often been the primary rationale for public investment in sanitation. However, broader aspects of sanitation such as privacy and safety are important to users across settings, and have been linked to mental wellbeing. The aim of this study is to investigate what people most value about sanitation in low-income areas of Maputo, Mozambique, to inform a definition and conceptual model of sanitation-related quality o…
Behaviour settings theory applied to domestic water use in Nigeria
Beyond the Millennium Development Goals
Over 1 billion people lack access to improved water sources and 2.6 billion lack access to appropriate sanitation, greatly contributing to the global burden of disease. The international community has committed to reducing by half the proportion of the world's population lacking access to water and sanitation as a part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, the disease burden due to poor access, is borne primarily by the poorest cou…
Assessing the impact of a school‐based water treatment, hygiene and sanitation programme on pupil absence in Nyanza Province, Kenya
Objectives There has been increased attention to access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) at schools in developing countries, but a dearth of empirical studies on the impact. We conducted a cluster‐randomized trial of school‐based WASH on pupil absence in Nyanza Province, Kenya, from 2007 to 2008. Methods Public primary schools nested in three geographical strata were randomly assigned and allocated to one of three study arms [water treatme…
Water, sanitation, and primary school attendance
The Integrated Behavioural Model for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
Designing a handwashing station for infrastructure-restricted communities in Bangladesh using the integrated behavioural model for water, sanitation and hygiene interventions (IBM-Wash)
A number of contextual, psychosocial and technological factors influence use of handwashing stations at five aggregate levels, from habitual to societal. In interventions that require a handwashing station to facilitate frequent handwashing with soap, elements of the technology, such as capacity, durability and location(s) within the household are key to high feasibility and acceptability. More than one handwashing station per household may be re…
Behavioral Attitudes and Preferences in Cooking Practices with Traditional Open-Fire Stoves in Peru, Nepal, and Kenya
Global efforts are underway to develop and promote improved cookstoves which may reduce the negative health and environmental effects of burning solid fuels on health and the environment. Behavioral studies have considered cookstove user practices, needs and preferences in the design and implementation of cookstove projects; however, these studies have not examined the implications of the traditional stove use and design across multiple resource-…
The Impact of School Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions on the Health of Younger Siblings of Pupils
Objectives. We examined the impact of school water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions on diarrhea-related outcomes among younger siblings of school-going children. Methods. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial among 185 schools in Kenya from 2007 to 2009. We assigned schools to 1 of 2 study groups according to water availability. Multilevel logistic regression models, adjusted for baseline measures, assessed differences between inte…
Evaluation of Membrane Ultrafiltration and Residual Chlorination as a Decentralized Water Treatment Strategy for Ten Rural Healthcare Facilities in Rwanda
There is a critical need for safe water in healthcare facilities (HCF) in low-income countries. HCF rely on water supplies that may require additional on-site treatment, and need sustainable technologies that can deliver sufficient quantities of water. Water treatment systems (WTS) that utilize ultrafiltration membranes for water treatment can be a useful technology in low-income countries, but studies have not systematically examined the feasibi…
Sanitation-related psychosocial stress
While sanitation interventions have focused primarily on child health, women's unique health risks from inadequate sanitation are gaining recognition as a priority issue. This study examines the range of sanitation-related psychosocial stressors during routine sanitation practices in Odisha, India. Between August 2013 and March 2014, we conducted in-depth interviews with 56 women in four life stages: adolescent, newly married, pregnant and establ…
Behavior Change without Behavior Change Communication
Behavior change communication for improving handwashing with soap can be labor and resource intensive, yet quality results are difficult to achieve. Nudges are environmental cues engaging unconscious decision-making processes to prompt behavior change. In this proof-of-concept study, we developed an inexpensive set of nudges to encourage handwashing with soap after toilet use in two primary schools in rural Bangladesh. We completed direct observa…
Small Water Enterprise in Rural Rwanda
Small water enterprises (SWEs) have lower capital expenditures than centralized systems, offering decentralized solutions for rural markets. This study evaluated SWEs in rural Rwanda, where nine health care facilities (HCF) owned and operated water kiosks supplying water from onsite water treatment systems (WTS). SWEs were monitored for 12 months. Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient (r s ) was used to evaluate correlations between demand for …
Shared latrines in Maputo, Mozambique
BACKGROUND: Approximately 18% of Sub-Saharan Africa's urban population relies on shared sanitation facilities, which are shared by one or more households. While there is growing recognition of sanitation's relationship with stress and well-being - particularly among women - most research has focused on rural populations and the transition from open defecation and/or unimproved latrines to private shared sanitation. This study explores sanitation-…
Setting priorities for humanitarian water, sanitation and hygiene research
Recent systematic reviews have highlighted a paucity of rigorous evidence to guide water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions in humanitarian crises. In June 2017, the Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) programme of Elrha, convened a meeting of representatives from international response agencies, research institutions and donor organisations active in the field of humanitarian WASH to identify research priorities, discuss …
Women’s sanitation practices in informal settlements
For decades, countries throughout the world have failed to meet sanitation-related development goals. Access to safe sanitation is undeniably linked to improved health outcomes; yet, 2.4 billion people, globally, still lack access. The persistent failure to meet sanitation goals suggests that our understanding of the factors that influence sustainable sanitation access and utilisation is incomplete. Despite growing availability of toilets in info…
Shared Sanitation Management and the Role of Social Capital
Shared sanitation-sanitation facilities shared by multiple households-is increasingly common in rapidly growing urban areas in low-income countries. However, shared sanitation facilities are often poorly maintained, dissuading regular use and potentially increasing disease risk. In a series of focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, we explored the determinants of shared sanitation management within the context of a larger-scale health i…
Collective Efficacy
Impact evaluations of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions have demonstrated lower than expected health gains, in some cases due to low uptake and sustained adoption of interventions at a community level. These findings represent common challenges for public health and development programmes relying on collective action. One possible explanation may be low collective efficacy (CE)-perceptions regarding a group's ability to execute actions…
Oral Contact Events and Caregiver Hand Hygiene
Childhood diarrhea is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children under five in low and middle-income countries, second only to respiratory illness. The mouthing behavior that is common in children exposes them to fecal-orally transmitted pathogens that can result in diarrhea; however, there is a need for further evidence on specific exposure routes. This study describes the frequency and diversity of two important routes of …
New Directions for Assessing Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in Schools
Hygiene During Childbirth
Background: Infections acquired during labour and delivery are a significant cause of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Adherence to hand hygiene protocols is a critical component of infection prevention strategies, but few studies have closely examined the hand hygiene of health care providers with sufficient detail to understand infection risks and prioritize prevention strategies. Methods: This observational study was conducted in si…
Enteric Pathogen Diversity in Infant Foods in Low-Income Neighborhoods of Kisumu, Kenya
Pediatric diarrheal disease remains the second most common cause of preventable illness and death among children under the age of five, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is limited information regarding the role of food in pathogen transmission in LMICs. For this study, we examined the frequency of enteric pathogen occurrence and co-occurrence in 127 infant weaning foods in Kisumu, Kenya, using a multi-pathogen…
The impact of an operation and management intervention on toilet usability in schools in the Philippines
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03204175, June 2017 prior to participant enrolment
Behaviour settings theory applied to domestic water use in Nigeria
How to set up government-led national hygiene communication campaigns to combat Covid-19
While large-scale changes in population behaviour are required to reduce the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus, the emergency context is not conducive to the sort of careful communications planning that would normally be required to meet such a task. Rapid strategic communications planning in a pandemic by governments is, however, possible and necessary. Steps include setting up a dedicated communications t…
Risk factors for child food contamination in low‐income neighbourhoods of Maputo, Mozambique
In low- and middle-income countries, food may be a critical transmission route for pathogens causing childhood diarrhoea, but basic food hygiene is often overlooked in public health strategies. Characterising child food contamination and its risk factors could help prioritise interventions to reduce foodborne diarrhoeal disease, especially in low-income urban areas where the diarrhoeal disease burden is often high. This cross-sectional study comp…
Costs of hand hygiene for all in household settings
INTRODUCTION: Domestic hand hygiene could prevent over 500 000 attributable deaths per year, but 6 in 10 people in least developed countries (LDCs) do not have a handwashing facility (HWF) with soap and water available at home. We estimated the economic costs of universal access to basic hand hygiene services in household settings in 46 LDCs. METHODS: Our model combines quantities of households with no HWF and prices of promotion campaigns, HWFs,…
Medicine (31 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (30 works) · Environmental health (28 works) · Hygiene (25 works) · Nursing (19 works) · Global Maternal and Child Health (18 works) · Sanitation (18 works) · Psychological intervention (16 works) · Public health (15 works) · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare (13 works)