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Across Typhoon Yolanda-affected areas, the Philippines Department of Health (DoH) and Department of Education (DepEd), The League of Mayors and 46 LGUs are working in tandem with UNICEF and its 12 implementing NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Partners to improve access to and use of sustainable sanitation through a strategy called the Philippines Approach To Total Sanitation (PhATS). This approach was produced as the recovery and development strategy for promoting universal access to improved sanitation and hygiene behavior with the entry point of ending the practice of open defecation by facilitating changes in social norms and building resilience.
In 2011, a WASH Situation Analysis conducted by UNICEF identified three bottleneck areas impeding progress on improving access to wash in low-income and marginalized areas in the Philippines, one of which was poor hygiene practices and low demand for WASH services and products. To overcome this hurdle, PhATS implementing partners, led by the DoH, are using behaviour change communication, social mobilization, social change and advocacy methods to create demand for sanitation products, behaviors and services.
This Technical Note shares techniques of demand creation and experiences from the field.