Using Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) World Vision is implementing a five (5) year project
(running from 2011 to 2016) in Traditional Authority Nthondo in Ntchisi District in Central Malawi.
However, almost two years after triggering only 6 villages (13%) of 46 villages had attained open
defection free (ODF) status. This study was therefore carried out with the aim of exploring the reasons
for the low attainment ODF status. Data was collected through household questionnaires, focus
group discussions, key informant interviews and documentation review. Chi square tests were used
to examine the relationship of the probable factors and ODF status. The study found that 40.1% of
households were ODF. No association was found between ODF status and; age (p=0.862), sex
(p=0.114), level of education (p=0.983), annual household income (p=0.557), knowledge of the
characteristics of ODF household (p=0.177), knowledge of the benefits for not defaecating in the open
(p=0.348) and knowledge of modes of transmission of ODF related diseases (p=0.241). The study,
however, established an association between ODF status and number of follow up visits (p=0.026).
The study concluded that triggering process did not achieve collective behaviour change in the
community to take collective action.