The Tip Top Tippy Tap

A critical evaluation of the Tippy Tap 

Having read thesanitationstation's blog on the effectiveness of waterless toilets, and reading about a succession of  failed infrastructural projects, it inspired me to think about innovations which have emerged from African communities and are proving successful. 

The importance of hand washing:

Despite sufficient evidence that hand washing is, "The single most important intervention for preventing diarrhoeal and respiratory infections", the rate of hand washing remains low in resource limited settings. In Uganda, diarrhoeal diseases are the fourth leading cause of child mortality, which is completely preventable, with adequate sanitation. This evidence suggests that hand washing is critical at the best of times, yet with the recent outbreak of the infectious COVID-19, hand washing has become even more important, with the WHO recommended increased hand washing to prevent transmission. Therefore, in this current context, the “importance of identifying a cost-effective hand washing enabling technology cannot be overemphasised,” which leads me to present the tippy tap. 

The Tippy Tap

The Tippy Tap is unique in its design as it does not rely on piped water supply, which means that it can be implemented almost anywhere. The tippy tap is a simply designed, economic hand washing infrastructure which uses 1/10 of the water of a normal tap.  It is a simple simple, economical ($2 USD to construct) and is constructed  from local materials and is “The best known low cost enabling technology for handwashing.”

Figure 1: Child in Uganda using the Tippy Tap.


Several studies have been conducted into the uses, benefits and effectiveness of Tippy Taps in resrouce limited settings. These reviews have suggested that the Tippy Tap has increased hand washing and the use of soap amoung participants. This suggests that the Tippy Taps has the potential to increase the health outcomes in certain contexts and break cycles of infections. 

In a specific case study in rural schools in Nakigo, Iganga Distrcit of Nairobi, the use of the Tippy Tap programme was evaluated.  Tippy Taps were introduced in a programme of three components: education, the provision of soap and the construction of the Tippy Tap Infrastructure. The infrastructure was located outside the toilets. In Uganda, children who are under the age of 15 make up 54% of the population, which makes schools an ideal place to implement new infrastructure. The study found that children could act as agents in the dissemination of health knowledge, transferring  knowledge to their parents whilst also decreasing absentee rates. Figure 2 highlights how the Tippy Tap scheme was able to increase hand washing frequency , particularly after the toilet, with the use of soap and reduce stomach pains. 
















Limitations of the Tippy Tap

Although I did say that I wanted to keep this blog positive, I think its important that I am realistic. The effectiveness of the Tippy Tap is not merely dependent on the $2 infrastructure, as some of the literature suggests. In order for the Tippy Tap to be effective it needs to be combined with health knowledge as well as the provision of soap. Handwashing without soap has very limited benefits. In resource limited rural settings, access to soap may pose a logistical and financial challenge, which needs to be considered if the Tippy Tap is to reach its full potential. 

The use of the Tippy Tap for over 3 decades shows its effectiveness, which I believe is a credit to its emergence from local knowledge, emerging from African communities. It is however, an interim solution, and there needs to be upgraded plans to ensure longer term sanitation facilities.In the context of COVID-19, social distancing is virtually impossible in slum settings, and when people don't have access to clean drinking water, the Tippy Tap does feel a bit like putting a plaster on a broken leg. 

Having said all of this, its emergence from African communities is optimistic, and I’m sure is part of the reason for its success. Although, not long term, the implementation of infrastructure such as this highlights how African communities are becoming agents of their own development, and this in itself is enough to celebrate. 


Comments

  1. The Sanitation StationDecember 12, 2021 at 5:45 AM

    Great post Mimi! Really glad that you enjoyed my post on waterless toilets and that you were inspired to take a look at one of the many innovative solutions that have risen in response to the sanitation crisis. You mentioned that this solution is only interim- I would love to know what you would suggest moving forward as a more permanent solution?

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