Ensuring universal access to water sanitation and hygiene by 2030

This plan emphasises the critical link between water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and improved nutrition outcomes, focusing on reducing stunting, wasting and waterborne diseases. Key strategies include the following.

1. Expand Access to Clean Water and Sanitation to Improve Nutrition Outcomes

Action 1.1: Develop Rural Water Infrastructure to Reduce Waterborne Diseases

• Construct and rehabilitate water supply systems (e.g., boreholes, piped water systems and rainwater harvesting systems) in underserved rural areas, prioritising regions with the highest rates of stunting and malnutrition.

• Ensure water quality testing and treatment to prevent contamination, directly reducing the incidence of waterborne illnesses that hinder child growth and development.

Action 1.2: Promote Household Sanitation to Prevent Nutrient Loss

• Subsidise or provide low-cost sanitation solutions for low-income households to eliminate open defecation and fecal-oral contamination and malnutrition.

• Encourage local production of affordable sanitation materials to boost rural economies, ensuring sustainability and community ownership.

Action 1.3: Ensure Equitable Access to WASH for Vulnerable Groups

• Focus on marginalised groups who are disproportionately affected by malnutrition and poor WASH conditions.

• Implement gender-sensitive WASH programmes, such as providing menstrual hygiene management facilities in schools and public spaces, to improve school attendance and nutrition among adolescent girls.

2. Strengthen Management and Capacity to Sustain Nutrition Gains

Action 2.1: Build Local Capacity for WASH and Nutrition Integration

• Train local government officials, community leaders and technicians in WASH system management and maintenance, with a focus on preventing water contamination and ensuring safe sanitation practices.

• Strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education Youth and Sport, WASH and Nutrition sub-working group of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development and other relevant ministries to align WASH initiatives with national nutrition strategies.

3. Improve Monitoring and Evaluation Systems to Track Nutrition Impact

Action 3.1: Establish a National WASH-Nutrition Database

• Develop a centralised digital platform to track WASH access, usage and quality in rural communities, with indicators linked to nutrition outcomes.

• Use geographic information systems to map water sources and sanitation facilities, overlaying data on malnutrition hotspots to target interventions effectively.

4. Promote Behaviour Change to Maximise Nutrition Benefits

Action

4.1: Launch Nutrition-Sensitive WASH Education Campaigns

• Conduct community awareness campaigns on the importance of handwashing with soap at critical times, safe water storage and proper sanitation practices to prevent diarrhoeal diseases and improve nutrient absorption.

5. Implement the National Guiding Principles for Nutrition-Sensitive WASH Interventions

• Implement the five-year Operational Plan, 2023–2028, of nutrition-sensitive WASH interventions.