In rural and peri-urban areas of Ethiopia, up to 32% of households do not have access to a toilet, and among the households that do, between 84% and 96% lack improved toilets that are satisfactorily sanitary [1]. The resulting practice of open-defecation can vastly increase the pathways for disease transmission and infections, exposing these families to increased risk of preventable illnesses or deaths due to diarrheal diseases, one of the leading causes of under-five morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia. Through USAID’s TRANSFORM Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project, led by Population Services International (PSI), SNV is working to change this reality for vulnerable households in Ethiopia

TRANSFORM WASH aims to reduce preventable deaths and illnesses due to diarrheal diseases in Ethiopia, particularly among children under five, through the increased use of improved WASH products and services. The project is supporting the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) and its One WASH National Program (OWNP) by addressing key barriers to the uptake and sustained use of WASH products through the development of an inclusive WASH market.

The project serves as a market facilitator, building up demand for improved sanitation among households, and developing the capacity of private sectors companies on the supply-side to meet this new demand. This holistic strategy creates an enabling environment for the emergence of a sustainable market for WASH products and services. The project is helping sanitation become more affordable, accessible, and appealing to households in Ethiopia by working with market actors to determine the most viable products, prices, market-entry points, and promotions.

TRANSFORM WASH is led by PSI (Population Services International) and includes key partners: SNV, Plan International USA, and IRC. SNV is leading capacity building for sub-national governments, and collaborating with the Government of Ethiopia to tailor a support package specific to its needs in WASH and the OWNP. SNV will also test delivery approaches for end-of-value-chain services like fecal sludge management and re-use, and will strengthen supply-side financing opportunities by working with finance institutions.

Notes

[1] Ethiopia Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) 2016