Journey towards changing behaviour : evolution of hygiene education in Bangladesh

Historically, sanitation received a lower priority in Bangladesh than safe water supply until it was realised that progress was dependent upon considering sanitation and hygiene issues. First attempts to promote hygiene were conducted in a traditional way: by telling communities - especially women - what to do and trusting that behavioural change would follow. Largely it didn't. So hygiene education was changed to hygiene promotion and a series of methods evolved that were participatory in nature and designed to encourage sustainable hygiene behaviour change by the community. In this paper, these processes are detailed along with the major agencies involved. (Author's abstract)