Budgets for hygiene and sanitation interventions are always limited, and there are competing demands for resources. Unfortunately, we do not know enough about which interventions offer the best value for money. This gap in knowledge makes it harder for governments and implementers to make informed decisions about where to allocate resources.

The aim of this research is to improve the economic evidence base for hygiene and sanitation interventions. It has three key components:

First, the research synthesizes existing evidence to understand which handwashing interventions are most effective and efficient, focusing on the intensity of household promotion visits, adoption of behaviors, and economic evaluation.

Second, it develops new methods to assign monetary values to non-health benefits, specifically focusing on quality of life improvements and time savings.

Third, the project applies these methods to estimate the benefits and costs of a rural hygiene and sanitation program implemented by World Vision in Malawi, including a detailed analysis of the costs and benefits of handwashing interventions.

Additionally, the research supports ongoing efforts in the economics of menstrual health, the development of a hygiene experiences scale, and the measurement of sanitation-related quality of life.

The findings will help implementers and governments better understand the most cost-effective hygiene and sanitation strategies and how scaling up these interventions can improve people’s lives. The project will produce academic articles, as well as practical guidance and tools for implementers, enabling them to apply the methods developed in the field.