Facilitators and barriers to the utilisation of sanitation-related decision-making support tools among environmental health practitioners in Uganda

AimThe aim of the current study was to explore the facilitators and barriers to the utilisation of sanitation-related decision-making support tools among environmental health practitioners in Uganda.Subject and methodsA cross-sectional study design, utilizing narratives from 16 key informants in both the public and private sectors was used. Data were collected with the aid of interview guides, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim by experienced transcribers. An interviewee transcript review was undertaken to improve the quality of transcriptions, while intercoder reliability was performed to validate the coding process. The coding process was aided by Nvivo version 12.0, following a thematic approach.ResultsThe sources of information on sanitation-related decision-making support tools included the internet, workshops, communications from agencies such as the World Health Organisation, and the line ministries. The facilitators to utilisation of sanitation related decision-making support tools included awareness, availability of human and financial resources, and the nature of sanitation activities implemented by the practitioner organisations. Conversely, the barriers included inadequate funds, lack of awareness of sanitation-related decision-making support tools, and the nature of activities implemented by the practitioner organisations.ConclusionsThere is limited awareness of the sanitation-related decision-making support tools, which in combination with the limited funding and nature of activities implemented by the practitioner organisations, hinders their use. The current study, therefore, highlights the need for stakeholders to invest and undertake capacity building through workshops and other information-sharing platforms such as the internet, as a measure to increase awareness of decision-making tools.