Integration of water, sanitation, and hygiene for the prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases: a rationale for inter-sectoral collaboration.

• Published in: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
• Main Authors: Matthew C Freeman, Stephanie Ogden, Julie Jacobson, Daniel Abbott, David G Addiss, Asrat G Amnie, Colin Beckwith, Sandy Cairncross, Rafael Callejas, Jack M Colford, Paul M Emerson, Alan Fenwick, Rebecca Fishman, Kerry Gallo, Jack Grimes, Gagik Karapetyan, Brooks Keene, Patrick J Lammie, Chad Macarthur, Peter Lochery, Helen Petach, Jennifer Platt, Sarina Prabasi, Jan Willem Rosenboom, Sharon Roy, Darren Saywell, Lisa Schechtman, Anupama Tantri, Yael Velleman, Jürg Utzinger
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002439; https://doaj.org/article/7730b4527bd341fcaa0e43330aee81f4

Improvements of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and appropriate health-seeking behavior are necessary for achieving sustained control, elimination, or eradication of many neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Indeed, the global strategies to fight NTDs include provision of WASH, but few programs have specific WASH targets and approaches. Collaboration between disease control programs and stakeholders in WASH is a critical next step. A group of stakeholders from the NTD control, child health, and WASH sectors convened in late 2012 to discuss opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration. The group agreed on a common vision, namely "Disease-free communities that have adequate and equitable access to water and sanitation, and that practice good hygiene." Four key areas of collaboration were identified, including (i) advocacy, policy, and communication; (ii) capacity building and training; (iii) mapping, data collection, and monitoring; and (iv) research. We discuss strategic opportunities and ways forward for enhanced collaboration between the WASH and the NTD sectors.