National WASH-NTD Coordination

Rural and marginalized populations that have the least access to sustainable, adequate and affordable water supply and sanitation services also bear the highest burden of Neglected Tropical Disease. Until now the governmental WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and health sectors have functioned independently, but coordination to work towards common goals could sustainably improve the health and prosperity of people living in poverty. Yilma Tamiru is in charge of WASH-NTD coordination at the NALA-JDC office in Addis Ababa, and is working on developing coordination mechanisms at the national, regional, zonal and community levels. NALA is creating a tool kit and manual which includes guidelines on advocating this cooperation, disease mapping and identifying joint indicators to monitor success of the projects. This work is being carried out together with the World Health Organization that is compiling a tool kit for NTD partners internationally, and will rely in part on best practices from our methods.