This week, we’re highlighting the work of Dr Matthew Freeman, a former RGHI Innovation Grant Holder, and colleagues, which tackles the lack of standardised reporting guidelines for hygiene interventions.  

The current landscape of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) intervention reporting is fragmented, with researchers and practitioners using varying methodologies, metrics, and documentation standards. WASH interventions are recognised as essential for preventing disease and improving health outcomes, and these inconsistencies create barriers to understanding which approaches work best in different settings. This ultimately hinders the development of evidence-based policies that could improve health outcomes worldwide. 

Dr Freeman’s research tackles this challenge by developing standardised guidelines and tools that could transform how the sector documents and evaluates hygiene interventions. The approach addresses critical gaps by establishing consistent technical specifications, standardising behavioural strategy documentation, creating uniform delivery method reporting, and developing comprehensive coverage and quality metrics. 

The guidelines were published in Environmental Health Perspectives in November 2024 (1). Working alongside grant team members Emily Awino Ogutu and Dr Jonny Crocker, Dr Freeman’s research team created practical tools that practitioners worldwide can adopt. This standardisation will enable easier comparison of interventions, help identify the most effective approaches in different settings, and ultimately lead to better-designed programs and policies that improve hygiene and health outcomes globally. 

Read the article here.

“Standardised reporting is fundamental to advancing evidence-based practice in the WASH sector. Dr. Freeman’s work provides the foundation for more rigorous evaluation and comparison of interventions, which is essential for maximising impact and improving lives.” 

• Sarah Roberts, RGHI Executive Director  

The RGHI Spotlights Series showcases researchers’ inspiring work on improving global hygiene and health outcomes. Each post highlights a project funded through an RGHI grant or fellowship, detailing its goals, progress, and potential impact. These spotlights celebrate innovation and collaboration in tackling some of the world’s most pressing hygiene challenges. To learn more about RGHI-funded research and its contributions to advancing hygiene and health globally, explore our research portfolio.

Stay tuned for more next week and follow RGHI on LinkedIn and BlueSky for the latest updates.

(1) Crocker, J., Ogutu, E., Snyder, J. S., Kome, A., Tidwell, B., Rosenboom, J. W., Shapiro, J., Mahongo, J. S., Alexander, K. T., Gnilo, M. E., Gautam, O. P., Hoffman, S., Neou, S., & Freeman, M. C. (2024). TIDieR-WASH: A Guideline for Reporting Implementation of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions. Environmental health perspectives, 132(11), 117006. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14780