10.5 Institutional WASH

As you know, this component of the OWNP is about schools and health facilities. The OWNP supports the construction or rehabilitation of water supply facilities and latrines at schools (primary and secondary) and health facilities. It also proposes to support school curriculum by producing visual aids on hygiene and sanitation, using educational materials to promote good sanitation and hygiene practices, and supporting participation in school health clubs and events like Global Handwashing Day. The Ministry of Education, through its regional/city bureaus and woreda/town education offices is responsible for implementing the Programme’s activities in schools. WASH activities can also be combined with other activities such as vegetable gardening to provide additional benefits to schools and possibility to support learning about nutrition. Through its bureaus and local offices, the Ministry of Health is responsible for WASH construction activities in health facilities. For both schools and health facilities, implementation may be through either woreda-managed project (WMP), community-managed project (CMP), or NGO-managed modalities.

In line with this, manuals for the design and construction of WASH facilities in schools and health facilities have been prepared and are being applied nationwide (see UNICEF, n.d.). These manuals are a multi-sectoral effort with inputs across education, health and WASH sectors and contain detailed design drawings as well as lists of required materials and equipment. These manuals are essential tools that will provide guidelines for supporting WASH infrastructure in Ethiopia’s schools and health facilities.