Creating an Enabling Environment for Sanitation

  1. Sanitation & Hygiene
  2. Enabling Environment

MCD Global Health creates an enabling environment for agencies, organizations, officials, leaders, and communities to improve sanitation and hygiene.

To enhance such efforts, our teams contribute to the development of strategies and policies at the national and subnational levels. We participate in sector coordination and provide significant technical assistance to the Ministry of Water and Ministry of Health as well as to regions, districts, and communes.

Ways MCD is Enabling the Environment:

  • Improving governance in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH);
  • Promoting a system-based approach;
  • Increasing domestic resources for WASH using a wide range of tools, such as the TRACKFIN, and through private sector involvement;
  • Building capacity of governmental and local actors; and
  • Developing leadership, synergy, and data for decision making.

Our Results

167

Communes in Madagascar developed plans and strategies for supporting improved sanitation & hygiene.

108

Communes in Madagascar unlocked public finance, establishing annual budgets ranging from $79–$395 (USD) per commune, a minimum of $8,500 annually.

$38,686

Total amount provided by nine communes in Benin to support activities and staff in eliminating open defection over the life of the PAPHyR program.

$10.3M

Estimated amount of household contributions for the construction of 460,358 latrines under the FAA program in Madagascar.

$2.27M

Estimated total amount contributed by Benin households for the construction of 40,532 latrines.

438

Number of established Village Savings and Loan Associations with an estimated 43,800 members from 8,769 households in 297 villages.

Promoting Equity and Non-Discrimination

It takes a community to improve their sanitation and hygiene systems, and each community member has different needs. To ensure equity, we:

  • Promote menstrual hygiene management in a range of settings, such as schools and households.
  • Ensure the active participation of all community members in our WASH programs.
  • Promote gender equity by addressing barriers for women and girls and empowering both women and men to overcome discriminatory behavioral and cultural norms. Also, MCD ensures that women play key roles in its teams through affirmative gender recruitment and capacity development programs.

Featured Projects

Community members discussing sanitation and hygiene in Madagascar

UNICEF WASH Program

This program aimed at assisting Madagascar in meeting its goal of universal access to WASH by 2030.

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Community members listen to a facilitor talk about a new latrine in Madagascar.

Fonds d'Appui pour l'Assainissement (FAA)

The FAA program aimed to eliminate open defecation and improve sanitation and hygiene using the continuum CLTS approach.

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Children using a new handwashing station in Benin

Programme d'Amelioration de l'Acces a l'Assainissement et des Pratiques d'Hygiene en milieu Rural (PAPHyR)

The PAPHyR program supported the Government of Benin in working toward access to sanitation and hygiene.

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News & Updates

World Hand Hygiene Day: Hand-Washing with Soap is No Longer Optional
MCD Leading UNICEF Project to Achieve Universal Access to WASH in Madagascar
It’s Not About Changing, But Making People Agents of Change