October 15, 2019, is Global Handwashing Day (GH Day), an annual advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap. This year’s theme is “Clean Hands for All,” which gives much needed attention to the marginalized groups that lack access to handwashing facilities or face discrimination in the provision of handwashing and other water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.
A 2015 report from UNICEF and WHO found that limited data exists on the status of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities (HCF). Few assessments have been conducted and even fewer collect data beyond the basic coverage of WASH within a HCF. In order to determine the extent of the problem and develop an action plan to address gaps, more comprehensive assessments are needed.
ISDP aims to provide support for creating sustainable, strong health care facilities in Ezo, and Yambio counties that will improve quality of services and access, especially for women and children.
The South Sudan Health Pooled Fund provides hundreds of thousands of citizens, especially women and children, with quality healthcare, delivering services across 80% of South Sudan.
They lead a consortium working with the government to strengthen its capacity to deliver health services on its own, with funding from DFID, USAID, the EU, Canada and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) Plus is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health. The project seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector and catalyze public-private engagement to improve health outcomes in family planning, HIV, child health, and other health areas. SHOPS Plus supports the achievement of US government priorities, including ending preventable child and maternal deaths, an AIDS-free generation, and FP2020. The project improves the equity and quality of the total health system.
Uganda remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with almost a quarter of the population living on less than USD$1.25 a day. Economic and human development in Uganda is inhibited by inadequate sanitary conditions at households, schools, and health centers, which cost the country the equivalent of USD$177 million per year in lost productivity and medical costs, according to The Water and Sanitation Program.
The goal of USAID IHP is to strengthen the capacity of Congolese institutions and communities to deliver high-quality, integrated health services that sustainably improve the health status of the
Congolese population. The program builds on previous investments in health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), USAID’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy and related Government of the DRC (GDRC) strategies and policies.
In 2018, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General issued a Global Call to Action to elevate the importance of and prioritize action on WASH in all health care facilities. This document presents eight practical actions that UN member states can take at the national and sub-national level to improve WASH in health care facilities. It also summarizes the global response to the UN Secretary General’s Call to Action.
USAID)Ethiopia designed the Strengthening Ethiopia’s Urban Health (SEUH) Activity to support the Government of Ethiopia’s Urban Health Extension Program (UHEP) by improving the quality of urban health services, strengthening referral linkages, building the institutional and technical capacity of regional health bureaus, and promoting intersectoral collaboration on urban health challenges. Using a mixed-methods approach, this final performance evaluation examines SEUH design, implementation, effectiveness, and sustainability. The evaluation findings and recommendations can guide the U.S.
USAID’s Swachchhata (Hygiene) Activity strengthens community health by improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and electricity infrastructure, infection prevention practices, and hygiene behavior at health facilities.
