Improving hygiene in health clinics

According to the WHO, in 2016 over 2.6 million babies died in their first four weeks of life and thousands of mothers died during and after childbirth. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved much in the subsequent years. The good news is that one in five of these new-born deaths could be prevented by simply washing the babies in clean water, and ensuring they are cared for in a clean environment by people who wash their hands. A clean hospital environment may seem simple but in Sahel countries such as Mali and Niger, it can be very challenging due to a chronic lack of clean water. And, if there is water, there is often no system in place to ensure that this vital service is maintained. A new project led by water, sanitation and hygiene focused NGO IRC is changing this.

Using a proven approach developed by the WHO and UNICEF, IRC works with strong local partners to build relationships in Mali and Niger in order to improve. water, sanitation and hygiene services in health centres. In collaboration with World Vision, IRC assesses the key risks and work with the health centre staff to improve procedures or activities that can have immediate health improvements. Planning is a key part of the project to ensure that improvements are sustainable. So that everyone has access to safe WASH services, now and forever.

The project is supported with 2 700 000 SEK.