Project Name：Improving access to basic water sanitation and hygiene in ten health care facilities for vulnerable communities in Garissa County, Kenya

Project status：Projects in Operation

Cooperating Country：Kenya

Project Description：

Extreme weather events cause multiple threats and challenges, affecting human health, lives and economic activities. Since late 2020, Eastern Africa has faced its most severe drought since the 1980s, with five consecutive rainy seasons bringing abnormally low amounts of precipitation. As a result, an estimated 6.4 million people in Kenya now require humanitarian assistance, the highest number in the last decade. 

Kenya’s Garissa County has been subject to recurrent acute water shortages, and a large portion of its health care facilities (HCFs) lack basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. The ongoing drought is further exacerbating HCF deficiencies in WASH services, decreasing the quality of local healthcare. To improve HCF access to WASH in Garissa County, the TaiwanICDF launched a new project in collaboration with the Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh) in October 2023. The work aligns with WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) standards for HCFs, with an aim to improve target facilities’ WASH operations. Specific project goal covers the key aspects of water access, sanitation, hygiene, waste management and environmental cleanliness. The project will also benefit the target HCFs to improve WASH capacity in response to extreme weather events, such as recurrent droughts and floods. Overall, the project includes the following:

1. Water supply infrastructures, sanitation and hygiene facilities of 10 HCFs were constructed, rehabilitated, or improved.
2. Protocols for infrastructure operation and maintenance were developed and maintenance kits for HCFs (tools and equipment) were provided.
3. Training and capacity building for HCF staff and local health officials in WASH were conducted.

Implementation Start Date：2023-10-01

Implementation End Date：2025-09-30

Source of Funding：TaiwanICDF

Project Objectives：

Accessibility to basic water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in 10 health care facilities in Garissa County improved, in accordance with international standards.

Executing Agency：

Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh) Kenya Office

Implementation Arrangement：

The TaiwanICDF will support the project by dispatching experts. Tdh Kenya will implement the project and liaise with local government units, communities and stakeholders. 

Current Progress：

To the end of March 2024, the following activities have been carried out:

1. Conducted a technical assessment of WASH infrastructure (including water supply, sanitation, biomedical waste management and hand washing facilities) at the 10 healthcare facilities, and confirmed rehabilitation plans for the WASH infrastructure with the facility management committees, and prepared the drawings and BOQs for the WASH installation works.

2. Participated in the monthly County Steering Group meetings to develop a broad understanding of local weather and ensured the project progress, and conducted routine meetings with Garissa County’s relevant departments and communities to update the progress.

3. Held a two-day training to capacitate Tdh team and county staff on using the water testing kit, and conducted routine testing of the water quality at the 10 HCFs that testing points included taps, water storage facilities, water bowsers and boreholes.

4. Mapped personnel who will be responsible for ensuring the operation and maintenance of WASH infrastructure at the 10 healthcare facilities that the key personnel mapped include sub-county public health officers, medical superintendents, facility officers, cleaners, incinerator operators, and waste handlers, and identified their responsibilities.

5. Completed operation manuals of WASH infrastructure at the 10 healthcare facilities, and the manuals are under review by MoH of Garissa County.

6. Completed the simplified SOPs on biomedical and waste management, and environmental cleaning in collaboration with Garissa County government.

7. Distributed biomedical waste management kits which include PPEs, biohazard waste bins and relevant items, and environmental cleaning kits to the 10 healthcare facilities.

8. Set up a WASH fit committee at each of the 10 healthcare facilities that each committee is composed of 5 people and will manage the operation and maintenance of WASH infrastructure at the facility.

9. Conducted a WASH Fit training for the key Sub-County Health Management teams and health facility in charges, and a total of 23 persons participated in the training.

Project Contact：Yu-Chien Chang

Phone：+886-2-2888-6068

E-mail：yu.c.chang@icdf.org.tw