In 2015, Africa adopted the Ngor Declaration on Sanitation and Hygiene. The Ngor Declaration outlines 10 commitments to achieve universal access to adequate and sustainable sanitation and hygiene services and eliminate open defecation by 2030.  

The vision of the Ngor Declaration closely aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. The accurate monitoring of the implementation of Ngor commitments on sanitation and hygiene is critical for Africa to assess their progress. 

This report is the first installment of the ‘Social Science in Epidemics’ series, commissioned by the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Direct Assistance (OFDA). In this series, past outbreaks are reviewed in order to identify social science ‘entry points’ for emergency interventions and preparedness activities. The aim is to determine tangible ways to address the social, political and economic dynamics of epidemics and to ensure that interventions build on the social and cultural resources of the communities they aim to support.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) invests in WASH initiatives in health care facilities (HCF) in order to reduce morbidity and mortality related to inadequate WASH in HCF, and to fulfill a commitment to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in both WASH and health.

In 2015, Ethiopia achieved its Millennium Development Goal target of 57 percent access to safe drinking water, an increase from just 13 percent in 1990. Yet access to improved sanitation, while also vastly improved since 1990, remains alarmingly low at only 28 percent nationwide.

On Monday, October 15, join USAID and its partners in celebrating Global Handwashing Day. Now entering its 10th year, Global Handwashing Day increases awareness and understanding about the vital importance of handwashing with soap as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent the spread of illness and save lives.