Towards Sustainable Development Goal 6: Comparative Evidence on WASH Service Performance Across University-Managed and Private Student Accommodation Systems at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 requires equitable and reliable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, yet differences in service performance across student-accommodation systems remain poorly understood in sub-Saharan Africa. This study compared reported WASH service performance among students living in university-managed halls and private hostels at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,000 students, comprising 500 residents from each accommodation system. A structured questionnaire assessed water availability and appearance, sanitation adequacy and accessibility, cleaning and maintenance, waste management, and perceived health safety. Descriptive statistics, chi-square and Mann–Whitney U tests with effect sizes, and multivariable logistic regression were used to compare accommodation systems. University-managed halls showed less favorable reported water and sanitation outcomes. Water was unavailable daily for 39.4% of hall residents compared with 21.4% of hostel residents, and colored water was reported by 50.8% and 27.8%, respectively. Hall residents experienced greater toilet sharing, less accessible sanitation, lower facility adequacy, less frequent cleaning, and higher perceived health risks than hostel residents, who faced issues with refuse burning and lack of waste collection. After adjusting for age, gender, and duration of residence, hall residents had significantly higher odds of toilet sharing (6.02), perceived health risks (3.16), and rating toilet facilities as inadequate (2.39). Mixed student-accommodation systems can create varied WASH service-performance profiles. Effective monitoring, maintenance, waste management, and accountability can promote equitable and sustainable WASH services, aiding progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6.