Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation

USAID’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene program facilitates the private sector development of affordable and market-based water supply services and increases access to capital for new water and sanitation products for both suppliers and consumers in rural areas. USAID develops and fulfills marketing plans to advertise water, sanitation, and hygiene products and vendors, to mobilize community members such as farmers’ associations and community health workers to become promoters and vendors. USAID also promotes the three key WASH messages and practices proven to reduce diarrhea and other water related diseases: hand washing with soap, safe disposal of human waste, and safe storage and treatment of drinking water.

Students wash their hands throughout the day at ‘WASH schools’. WASH schools have the knowledge and means to provide safe water and sanitation and encourage timely handwashing techniques. These ‘tippy tap’ faucets are great handwashing tools where piped water is unavailable, as is the case for most of the island.

Less than 35% of Madagascar’s population has access to safe water or adequate sanitation to ward off disease. We train local technicians to build affordable latrines, such as this one with a "Sanplat" washable base and a handwashing device with soap.