MCD Global Health was selected by UNICEF to implement a water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) project assisted by its partner Mavila, a local non-governmental organization (NGO), in Madagascar. This program aimed at assisting Madagascar in meeting its goal of universal access to WASH by 2030.
In Madagascar, a 2018 survey indicated that 57% of the population do not have access to an improved water source. At the same time, water resources are under pressure from human activities and increasingly vulnerable to climate change: Flooding from cyclones in coastal areas and, in the south of Madagascar, prolonged drought.
According to the survey, access to adequate sanitation and hygiene also remains low. Forty percent of the population defecate in the open air, and 77% do not have access to basic hygiene services. The majority (80%) of public institutions (schools, health care facilities) remain without adequate WASH access. The adoption of the most basic sanitation and hygiene practices, such as access to improved sanitation facilities, menstrual hygiene management, and hand-washing with soap, remains a challenge.
The program addressed political, programmatic and social challenges to WASH in Madagascar’s Anlanjirofo, Atsimo Antsinanana, and Vatovavy Fitovinany regions. This program aimed for the following results:
- Improving access to WASH services and water management;
- Increasing access to finance for improved WASH services;
- Supporting private sector participation in WASH services;
- Improving resilience and water security; and
- Improving WASH information management and dissemination.
