Technical Guide for WASH in PHC Centres in Nigeria

Download - Technical Guide for WASH in PHC Centres in Nigeria

Nigeria is a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes ensuring
households, schools, health facilities, parks and other public places have access to WASH.
This effort can be seen in areas of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in some PHC
Centres that lack basic WASH facilities. The scourge of WASH-related diseases, high mortality and morbidity rates are being addressed in some parts of the county, both urban
and rural areas through the PHC Centers sited in the various state and local governments in Nigeria.

The need for serious intervention can therefore not be underestimated, more so when several have been undertaken in the past with minimum impact, largely owing to a lack of a properly conceived and integrated approach. The various interventions, especially in the area of WASH in PHCs, have been largely sectoral, resulting in the absence of separate WASH facilities in PHCS, apart from those constructed/located within the PHC Center’s buildings, many of which may be non-functional. The above situation, among others, dictated the reason for the development of this Technical Guide for WASH in Primary Health Care (PHC) Centers in Nigeria. This Technical Guide was developed with critical and leading support by the WASH section of UNICEF with inputs from key stakeholders, including relevant line Ministries/agencies of Government and other Development partners.

The aim is to come up with a standard (models) guide for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of WASH facilities (latrines/toilets, urinals and hand washing facilities) in PHC Centers. This will assist in the process of giving the Centers standard functional WASH facilities that are capable of not only improving the Health of the patients, staff and caregivers but through them, the local communities. The expectation is that the users of the PHC Centers will be in the best position to positively influence the WASH habits of their community members and so contribute to improvement in the health status of the people in the health center catchment communities.

The Development of this Technical Guide which was sponsored by UNICEF will support the
government efforts of ensuring the provision of adequate WASH facilities in all PHC Centers in Nigeria.

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