The U.S. Government Global Water Strategy identifies poor hygiene and the lack of adequate water and sanitation as a leading cause of disease and death worldwide and a contributor to the spread of many neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
The USAID Neglected Tropical Disases (NTD) program has programs to eliminate and/or control NTDs in 24 countries. Even as NTDs are eliminated through mass drug administration, the reinfection of these diseases will remain a problem if behaviors and the environment remain unchanged. STH, schistosomiasis, and trachoma are all clearly linked to inadequate sanitation, contaminated food and water, and poor hygiene, providing an opportunity for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) related approaches to help change behavior and the environment.
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are critical in the prevention and care for all of the 17 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) scheduled for intensified control or elimination by 2020. Provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene is one of the five key interventions within the global NTD roadmap. Yet to date, the WASH component of the strategy has received little attention and the potential to link efforts on WASH and NTDs has been largely untapped.
This toolkit provides step-by-step guidance to Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) program managers and partners on how to engage and work collaboratively with the WASH community to improve delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene services to underserved populations affected by many NTDs.
