Assessing the Efficacy of a Portable Bidet as a Public Health Tool: A Survey of Urban Slum Communities

Pruthi D

Published on: 2025-12-29

Abstract

Inadequate sanitation in rapidly growing urban informal settlements remains a critical global public health crisis. This study addresses the pervasive hygiene deficit in these settlements, where residents (predominantly 80% of the sample, N=350) rely on shared, often contaminated, community toilets (Pruthi, n.d.). Pre-intervention assessment in selected Delhi NCR slum communities revealed that 82.3% of participants rated toilet cleanliness as "Poor" or "Very Poor," directly correlating with a high reported incidence of WASH-related illnesses, including skin infections and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) among women. This paper evaluates the practical acceptability and perceived efficacy of the ByeByeLota portable bidet—a low-cost, personalized, water-based cleansing device designed to overcome infrastructural failures. Following a 2–3-day trial period, 94.3% of participants reported a subjective feeling of "much improved" cleanliness compared to their previous methods (Lota or splash-and-wipe). A significant 88% of users expressed a willingness to permanently adopt the device. The findings strongly suggest that the portable bidet serves as a highly acceptable, hygienic, and immediate intervention, providing a critical, decentralized solution to poor post-defecation hygiene in resource-constrained communities until sustainable, fixed sanitation infrastructure can be fully achieved.