Access to safe sanitation services is fundamental for healthy and productive lives, but in rural Burkina Faso only around 7% of the population uses improved sanitation. Ecological sanitation (ecosan) systems that allow safe agricultural reuse of nutrients in human waste have been promoted in these areas, as a way to meet sanitation needs while contributing to food security. However, little is known about the success of these interventions in terms of both sustained use of the toilet and safe excreta reuse practices. We assessed the use of ecosan systems in 44 rural communities where such interventions had taken place. Structured interviews and observations conducted at 520 randomly selected concessions (residential properties), suggested a large-scale shift from open defecation to ecosan toilet use. However, only 58% of surveyed concessions reported ever emptying the ecosan toilet vault, which is required for optimal long-term functioning. Concessions that received ecosan training programmes with a greater emphasis on agricultural reuse were more strongly associated with toilet use and emptying than those that whose training focused more on sanitation access and health benefits. The findings suggest that the safe agricultural reuse of nutrients can provide a strong motivation for long-term adoption of improved sanitation among rural smallholders.

中文翻译：

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了解布基纳法索农村地区生态卫生的可持续利用

获得安全的卫生服务对于健康和生产性生活至关重要，但是在布基纳法索农村地区，只有约7％的人口使用改善的卫生设施。在这些地区，人们大力推广了生态卫生（生态卫生）系统，可以安全地对人类废物中的营养物进行农业再利用，以此来满足卫生需求，同时为粮食安全做出贡献。然而，就持续使用厕所和安全的排泄物再利用实践而言，对于这些干预措施的成功知之甚少。我们评估了在已进行此类干预的44个农村社区中使用生态卫生系统的情况。在520个随机选择的特许权上进行的结构化访谈和观察（住宅物业），建议从露天排便向生态卫生厕所的使用大范围转变。但是，只有58％的调查特许经营者报告曾排空生态卫生厕所马桶，这是实现最佳长期功能所必需的。接受了生态卫生培训方案的特许经营者更侧重于农业的再利用，其优惠与厕所使用和排空的联系更为紧密，而那些特许经营培训的特许经营者更侧重于卫生设施的获取和健康益处。研究结果表明，安全的农业养分再利用可以为农村小农长期采用改善的卫生条件提供强有力的动力。