Access inequalities to WASH and housing in slums in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): A scoping review

Ranna Abdulhadi*, Ajay Bailey, Femke Van Noorloos

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Urban inequalities are exacerbated due to rapid urbanisation. This is also evident within slums in low- and middle-income countries, where high levels of heterogeneity amongst the slum population lead to differential experiences in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and housing access. This scoping review provides evidence of the interconnection of WASH and housing and presents barriers to access and the consequences thereof for slum dwellers. It does so while considering the social stratification amongst urban slum dwellers and their lived experiences. A systematic search of journal articles was conducted in November 2022 in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. A total of 33 papers were identified which were full text reviewed and data extracted. Infrastructure, social and cultural, socio-economic, governance and policy and environmental barriers emerged as general themes. Barriers to WASH and housing were more frequently described concerning women and girls due to gender norms within WASH and the home. Barriers to WASH lead to compromised health, socio-economic burdens, and adverse social impacts, thus causing residents of slums to navigate their WASH mobility spatially and over time. Insights from this review underscore the need for an intersectional approach to understanding access inequalities to WASH and housing.
Original languageEnglish
Article number2369099
Number of pages20
JournalGlobal Public Health
Volume19
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Funding

This work was supported by Utrecht University (UU), The Netherlands, through the UU Mosaic fund for the funding of the PhD grant. We gratefully acknowledge the important contributions of the reviewers who screened the records. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers and the Editor for their constructive feedback.

FundersFunder number
Universiteit Utrecht
UU Mosaic fund

    Keywords

    • LMICs
    • WASH
    • access inequalities
    • housing
    • urban slums

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Access inequalities to WASH and housing in slums in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): A scoping review'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this