Integrating Health and WASH sectors to help bring sustainable access to WASH in health facilities: a case study from Mali

WaterAid Mali, piloted a project in two districts to solve the crisis of drinking water, hygiene and sanitation in healthcare facilities, which was so successful in “doing some and influencing others,” and has resulted in influencing the national policy for integration of WASH in Health by the Ministry of Health, whilst also serving as a reference to other stakeholders in WASH in Health. Furthermore through the project the WASH Health Task Force has been revived serving as a framework for sharing experiences. This paper looks the key factors contributing to the success of the project 1) the strong engagement of leadership, 2) the strong partnership with the government of Mali, experts from the ministry of Health, DNS and WHO, 3) strengthening the sector as a whole through strengthening the Task force. At the same time the main challenges such as the financial sustainability of the ASACOs are discussed.