Prince Hamungala

Pre-emptive Healthcare Initiative, Zambia

Abstract Title: The Impact of Functional Disabilities on Personal Hygiene and Disease Transmission Among Pupils at Flamboyant Special School, Mazabuka District

Biography:

Prince Hamungala serves as the Executive Director of the Pre-emptive Healthcare Initiative (PHI) in Mazabuka, Zambia. He specializes in preventive strategies for vulnerable populations, including children with disabilities. His work emphasizes community-based interventions to address hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention in low-resource settings. Mentored by experts in the field, Prince is committed to evidence-based research that informs policy and improves outcomes. His educational background in health and hands-on involvement in Zambian healthcare initiatives have equipped him to tackle systemic challenges effectively.

Research Interest:

Background: Children with functional disabilities in low-resource settings, such as Zambia, face heightened risks of poor personal hygiene and infectious disease transmission due to physical, intellectual, or sensory impairments, compounded by inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities and limited healthcare access. This study addresses these challenges at Flamboyant Special School in Mazabuka District, Southern Province, Zambia, where pupils with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to hygiene- related health inequities.
Objectives: The objective was to assess the impact of functional disabilities on personal hygiene practices and disease transmission among pupils at Flamboyant Special School. Method: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods design was employed, involving structured questionnaires administered to teachers and caregivers for 61 pupils (aged 4–35 years, median ~13 years; 52.5% female), observational checklists of school facilities, and analysis of school health records. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to identify associations between disability types and hygiene/disease outcomes. Qualitative insights from key informant interviews informed thematic analysis of barriers, using NVivo for coding. Ethical approval was obtained from the Tropical Diseases Research Centre Ethics Committee, with informed consent ensured through accessible formats. Among the 61 pupils, intellectual disabilities predominated (68.9%), followed by hearing impairments (16.4%), combined intellectual-physical disabilities (8.2%), Down syndrome (4.9%), and others (1.6%). Assistive devices were absent for 91.8%