Toward a Hygienic Environment for Infants and Young Children

The USAID Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Partnerships and Learning for Sustainability (WASHPaLS) project conducted a review of the scientific and grey literature, complemented by dozens of key informant interviews with researchers and field implementers, to synthesize the latest understanding of key pathways of fecal microbe ingestion by infants and young children (IYC) and their links to diarrhea, EED, and poor nutrition and development outcomes.

The findings of the literature review will inform the design of research to measure the additive effects of specific measures to reduce IYC exposure to fecal pathogens and other fecal microbes in their home environments when coupled with independent or integrated WASH and nutrition interventions.