Revolutionising Rural Cambodian Health Centres

WaterAid will revolutionise rural health centres by testing affordable and efficient technologies and mechanisms in three of the poorest provinces of Cambodia. Once scaled, these will give health centres the support they need to reduce maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. We will use a WASHFIT risk-based approach, designed by WHO, that aligns with Cambodia's National Health Strategy to improve WASH services. The approach will test technology, assess usability and through strong government relationships, enable scalability across Cambodia’s 1100 health centres. We will take an integrated innovative approach through: Science: testing a low-cost UV ray technology to purify local water sources for drinking and usage in health centres via our partner Teuk Saat 1001 (TS); Business entrepreneurship: entrepreneurs to run financially sustainable water kiosks to sell the purified water in health centres; and social innovation through addressing the current challenge of the risk of life-threatening disease and infection that women, children and health workers face in health centres. We will engage key stakeholders from the outset to ensure buy-in and scale up. It will also support social innovation through the necessary upgrade of functioning, inclusive and accessible toilets; helping staff to clean the facilities and perform hygiene practices; and the safe disposal of waste. Often these elements happen in isolation, our project will bring them together under the WASHFIT model.