Five Million East African Border Residents splashed with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Projects
The Water Sanitation and Hygiene Project has reached over 5 million residents of border communities in the seven East African Community Member states.
East African Community, the International Organization for Migration and the German Agency for International Cooperation, have now announced the successful conclusion of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project in the region.
WASH was being implemented in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania at the cost of USD 2.5 Million.
The WASH project started in 2021 being aimed at strengthening the capacity of the East African Community Partner States to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases using hygiene measures, risk communication and community sensitization.
The three-year project saw the installation and renovation of 43 fixed hand washing facilities at the Points of Entry and border hotspots of all seven EAC Partner States and encouraged protective health and hygiene behaviors to prevent the spread of zoonotic and water-borne infectious diseases.
It was effective in taming maladies such as Corona (COVID-19) and Ebola.
The EAC Deputy Secretary General, in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik, said that proper health and hygiene facilities and services at the border points is a critical factor in the two integration pillars of Customs Union and Common market.
He disclosed that hand wash facilities installed in the Partner States have been well received, adding that they perform a vital role in ensuring that health and hygiene are maintained at the border points.
The Deputy EAC-SG commended the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) for supporting the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project.
Meanwhile the EAC handed over two new hands washing stations to the Governor of Rubavu on behalf of the Rwandan Government and highlighted the critical linkages between human mobility and health, emphasizing the importance of robust WASH infrastructure in preventing the spread of diseases.