Integrating Wash Interventions Across Sectors to Improve Health Outcomes

Integrating Wash Interventions Across Sectors to Improve Health Outcomes, published by Partners in Population and Development (PPD) in 2013, argues that a stronger WASH sector is key to improving women and children’s health, and that better coordination between the health and WASH sectors is essential to achieving this goal.

WASH interventions are by definition cross-sectoral. They concern at the very least, the Ministries of Water (when they exist), Ministries of Education, who are responsible for ensuring hand washing facilities and toilets are available in schools, Ministries of Health responsible for ensuring that there is access to water in health facilities, Ministries of Planning and Infrastructure responsible for ensuring that water pipes are in place and functioning.

This leads to complicated institutional arrangements as the responsible public agencies and relevant policies are often separate for water, sanitation and hygiene, making collaboration across Ministries difficult. Challenges around the ownership and sustainability of resources and facilities and the definition of responsibilities and budgets across sectors are common.

This very short brief lists 6 practical strategies to address the challenges of to cross-sectoral aspect of WASH interventions and provides links to relevant tools and resources.