West Africa Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WA-WASH)

It is widely recognized that inadequate access to water and sanitation services has enormous health, economic and social consequences. Poor water quality continues to pose a major threat to human health. Diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old, and is responsible for killing around 760,000 children every year (WHO, 2013). A significant proportion of diarrheal disease can be prevented through safe drinking-water and adequate sanitation and hygiene. In communities that lack safe drinking water, women and girls spend several hours each day collecting water from distant sources, and this reduces opportunities to attend school.

The primary goal of WA-WASH was to increase sustainable access to safe water and sanitation and improve hygiene in West Africa. The objectives of this four-year (2011–2015) program were to introduce innovative and low-cost WASH technologies and promote adequate hygienic behaviors at community level; develop practical models of sustainable WASH service delivery; and facilitate cooperation and create synergies between WA-WASH and other relevant USAID/West Africa programs.

Activity Description

Activity Description

WA-WASH introduces innovative and low-cost water and sanitation technologies, and promotes appropriate hygienic behaviors at the community level. The program also develops practical models of sustainable WASH service delivery; and increases the capacity of national and regional institutions to replicate these approaches and models throughout the region. WAWASH is partnering with the African Water Association to serve as a Knowledge dissemination platform

  • Support catalytic approaches to accelerate regional access to improved water supply/sanitation services and improved hygiene behaviors.
  • Develop and implement improved models for sustainability of rural and peri-urban WASH service delivery that are replicable throughout West Africa.
  • Build synergies among WASH actions and critical USAID/West Africa regional priorities related to food security, climate change, and sustainable resource management.
  • Strengthen the regional enabling environment and capacity for WASH to achieve WASH Millennium Development Goals in West Africa.

Expected Outcomes

Expected Outcomes
  • Increase community access to potable water and improved sanitation;
  • Improved sustainability of WASH services;
  • Increased income generation and food security outcomes of WASH investments and
  • Strengthened national and regional enabling environment for integrated WASH

Actual Outcomes

Actual Outcomes
  • 47,504 people in the program intervention areas have access to an improved drinking water source.
  • 4,844 households (HH) have increased availability of water for other productive uses
  • 32,383 people from Burkina Faso, 2,751 from Ghana and 12,370 from Niger have gained access to improved water supply services for household use as a result of USAID WA-WASH
  • 11 communities were certified-Open Defecation Free (ODF) in Niger and ten additional communities are in the process of being certified-ODF in Ghana