USAID Health and Hygiene Activity (Swachchhata) Report Booklet

Summary

USAID’s Health and Hygiene (Swachchhata) Activity (HHA) supported the Government of Nepal to improve the health status of communities living in remote mountainous and hilly regions of midwestern Nepal. From 2016 to 2024, HHA focused on increasing the service readiness of 248 healthcare facilities (HCFs) across seven districts—in Rukum East of Lumbini Province and Dolpa, Jajarkot, Salyan, Rukum West, Surkhet, and Dailekh of Karnali Province—to provide quality health service delivery and to adopt improved hygiene practices. More than 487,800 community members are benefiting from HHA’s interventions.

Working alongside municipalities and health facility operation and management committees (HFOMCs), HHA successfully completed the construction and rehabilitation of piped water supply systems to critical points of care; gender and disability-friendly toilets and handwashing stations in 181 healthcare facilities; installation of solar power systems in 61 HCFs for 24 hours of reliable electricity; and 47 placenta pits, 78 burial pits, and 80 composting bins in 80 HCFs for improved on-site healthcare waste management.

HHA increased the capacity and accountability of municipalities, HFOMCs, and health workers to monitor, self-assess, identify gaps, and mobilize resources to support operation and maintenance of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, infection prevention and control (IPC), patient counseling, and behavior change communication (BCC) targeting community members.

Overall, HHA supported healthcare facilities in making progress toward meeting the Government of Nepal’s Minimum Service Standards for quality health service delivery.

HHA was a $9.1 million program led by DevWorks International.