The scientific community recognizes that the lack of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities presents challenges in preventing infectious diseases transmission including COVID-19, highlighting the significance of prioritizing WASH as a crucial precautionary measure. This analysis investigates the research trends and global understanding related to WASH practices in COVID-19 prevention, with the objective of providing valuable insights to policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. It aids their endeavors in combatting COVID-19 and promoting sustainable WASH practices, enabling informed decision-making and effective strategies for global disease prevention and control. The Scopus database was employed to conduct a comprehensive search for relevant publications through the end of 2024, employing specific terms related to WASH and COVID-19. To assess collaborative patterns and research trends, network visualization maps were generated using VOSviewer 1.6.20 software. The research output of countries was adjusted using an adjustment index that incorporates county’s gross domestic product (GDP), population size, and research productivity. A total of 165 publications focusing on WASH and COVID-19 were identified, comprising 126 (76.4%) original articles, 22 (13.3%) reviews, and 17 (10.3%) other document types. The United States (n = 47; 28.5%) had the highest number of published works, followed by the United Kingdom (n = 33; 20.0%), India (n = 22; 13.3%), and Australia (n = 13; 7.9%). India ranked first after adjustments, followed by Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Pakistan. The United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Kenya, and India were the countries with the highest collaboration rates, respectively. Key topics of relevance included interventions related to hygiene promotion and infection prevention and control (n = 42 documents), WASH services in healthcare facilities (n = 32 documents), the impact of COVID-19 on women and children (n = 26 documents), the association between WASH insecurity and COVID-19 in low-income countries (n = 23 documents), as well as WASH services in schools (n = 22 documents). This study offers a unique analysis of global research on the link between WASH and COVID-19, shedding light on the distribution of outcomes among countries, institutions, and sources. It provides a comprehensive evaluation of the challenges, interventions, and policy considerations pertaining to WASH in the context of the COVID-19. Additionally, it underscores the significance of robust infrastructure, behavior change, and effective governance in fostering sustainable WASH practices for a healthier and more resilient future.
Zyoud et al. (Tue,) studied this question.