Dear colleagues,

I would like to share with you the latest version of the program of the “Wash In Nutrition – Review of strategy and operational solutions to fight undernutrition with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene” event we are organizing during the Stockholm World Water Week 2015.

Also,you can find more information about it following the link programme.worldwaterweek.org/event/4902

Best,

Dear colleagues,

I would like to share with you the information on the event that ACF and partners are organizing during the Stockholm World Water Week 2015. The event will take place on Tuesday, 25th of August from 11:00 to 12:30. If anyone of you happens to be there and is interested in joining, please check the further information about the seminar below:


Event Description:

The publishing of a number of scientific reviews questioning the impacts of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities on nutritional status of individuals, has encouraged different academic, development and humanitarian actors to take a closer look at the connection and dependence of these two sectors. Based on the recent research and operational initiatives taken by various organizations and scientific institutions, this event aims at providing an overview of the latest field experiences and research projects linking poor WASH status, infection and under-nutrition as well as boosting the advocacy efforts determined to increase global knowledge and awareness about this issue. Among others, the SuSanA Working Group on WASH and Nutrition will present the current version of its Factsheet together with ongoing and future activities. The Sahel “WASH in Nut” strategy, developed by different organisations with the primary goal to increase the efficiency of humanitarian response to continuing nutritional crisis in this region, will also be presented along with the operational field experiences such as the ACF project in Burkina Faso. SHARE and LSHTM will present research that strengthens the evidence base on the impact of WASH on nutritional status and interventions to tackle this. Finally, the event will advocate for more rigorous research, policy coherence and stronger cooperation among Health and Nutrition, WASH, Mental Health, Care Practices and Food Security sectors in order to ensure that WASH aspects are acknowledged and implemented as an integral part of nutrition interventions.

Event Classification

Policy and Governance

Lead convenors

• Action contre la faim (ACF)
• German WASH Network

Co-Convenors
• Sustainable Sanitation Alliance
• Sanitation and Hygiene Applied Research for Equity (SHARE) Research Consortium
• LSHTM
• Concern Worldwide
• BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development)
• GIZ
• ECHO
• UNICEF

Event objectives and expected outcomes:


The main objectives:
• to advocate for a multi-sector to fight under-nutrition;
• to call for incorporation of WASH components, including WASH targets and indicators, into the activities focusing on prevention and treatment of under-nutrition in order to improve their efficiency;
• to advocate for funding of WASH sector in accordance with its impacts on under-nutrition.

Expected outcomes:

• Latest evidences showing links between WASH and nutritional status are presented and discussed;
• Existing WASH in Nutrition operational approaches and tools reviewed and the best practices showcased;
• Wasting and stunting characterized and WASH approaches adapted accordingly;
• Place and role of WASH components within nutrition sensitive interventions presented and discussed;
• The panel of experts consolidated and networking efforts among academic, humanitarian, public and private actors in this field strengthened.

Key messages:

1. Ongoing research efforts are key in determining the impact of WASH interventions on nutritional status, especially acute malnutirion;
2. The WASH sector is an integral component of national and international strategies for combating under-nutrition;
3. More rigorous research, policy coherence and stronger cooperation between Health and Nutrition, WASH, Mental Health, Care Practices and Food Security sectors are needed;
4. Funding efforts need to correspond more closely to the Target 7.C. of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly on sanitation and hygiene, which is currently far from being attained;
5. It is essential for strategies and programmes aiming at fighting under-nutrition to incorporate short and long-term multi-sector components including WASH targets and indicators.


Event summary :

The event is planned to be a combination of plenary sessions, with the time devoted for questions and answers, and a group work to share best practices. Furthermore, the event will provide an opportunity for the conveners and the participants to share materials such as case studies, strategic documents, posters and advocacy material.

Target audience:

Government and policy makers, civil society representatives and NOGs, donors, academics, researchers and practitioners with an interest in the fight against under-nutrition, seeking information exchange/sharing on the impact of WASH interventions on nutritional status.

If you need any additional information about this event please feel free to get back to me.