Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among Muslim Leaders in Relation to Sustainable Development Goal 6 in Tamale

Abstract

Background:  The campaign for improved sustainable development goal six (6) is increasingly threatened as people’s existing knowledge and attitudes seem not to promote clean water and proper sanitation practices. This study's main aim was to assess Muslim leaders' knowledge, attitude and practices in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6) in the Tamale Metropolis. Methods: The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design. The study used primary data collected through questionnaire by the interview method among 384 Islamic leaders randomly selected from the various listed major Mosques in the Tamale Metropolis. The study span from June, 2021 to April, 022. In line with the principles of the Health Belief Model as the theoretical framework for this study, the dependent variables: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in relation to clean water and sanitation, were set against the independent variables: Socio-demographics, Acceptance of the precepts of Religion on sanitation and clean water; Perceived seriousness of SDG 6; Perceived benefits related to SDG6 and Perceived barriers associated with SDG6. Results: The findings suggest that even though respondents were very aware of the critical role of cleanliness in Islam, they lacked the impetus to make a difference as leaders in the SDG6 implementation. The findings also show a significant association between educational status and knowledge and practices related to SDG6 (X2=37.542, p=0.001). Conclusions: Among other critical findings, this thesis is unique in demonstrating that the three respective identities: traditional culture, Islam and modern policy (SDG6) share the mutual trust in clean water and sanitation within society. The confidence that each party brings to the table as a genuine stakeholder could enhance symbiotization and harmonization of links between the respectively different reasoning structures for the achievement of SDG6 - clean water and sanitation within the society.