Examining Challenges in Achieving Open Defecation Free Status in Central Mamberamo and Jayapura Districts, Papua, Indonesia

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-320-7_31How to use a DOI?

Keywords

open defecation; behavior; enabler; challenges

Abstract

Open defecation negatively impacts many aspects of life, including environmental quality, water pollution, and the emergence of various diseases. Indonesia is one of 61 countries with a high burden of open defecation, with Papua having the lowest sanitation index. The objective of this research was to gain deep understanding on the challenges associated with altering open defecation behaviors in two regions within Papua, specifically Central Mamberamo and Jayapura districts. This study used both a quantitative and qualitative approach. Structured interviews were used to collect quantitative data from 367 households in Jayapura District and 232 households in Mamberamo Tengah District. Meanwhile, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observations were used to collect qualitative data. Ownership of latrines was relatively high in both districts. However, the problems surrounding access and availability of clean water were still a polemic that must be considered. In addition, many latrines were not suitable for use because they were damaged or not built according to standards. In general, public awareness regarding sanitation was still relatively low resulting in the community’s defecation habits. Supporting factors for stopping open defecation programs included customary rules on water use, support from religious and community leaders, and community perceptions regarding the health impacts that arise. However, there were still challenges related to socio-economic factors and the lack of government assistance to provide healthy latrines. Reaffirming current laws and policies is necessary. Community involvement in government programs related to efforts to stop open defecation is essential. This may have effects on how programs are accepted and how they are adapted to fit with local customs and values. Additionally, interventions to raise public awareness of open defecation must be implemented.

Copyright

© 2023 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Aan Kurniawan
AU  - Ratih Eka Pertiwi
AU  - Kismiyati Kismiyati
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/12/31
TI  - Examining Challenges in Achieving Open Defecation Free Status in Central Mamberamo and Jayapura Districts, Papua, Indonesia
BT  - Proceedings of the 5th International Scientific Meeting on Public Health and Sports (ISMOPHS 2023)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 329
EP  - 343
SN  - 2468-5739
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-320-7_31
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-320-7_31
ID  - Kurniawan2023
ER  -