PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – The push for cleaner, safer sanitation for all Haitians continues with support from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) which is wrapping up a four-year sanitation and governance training initiative for officials from government, non-government and private sector organizations.
In late September, the Bank concluded the last workshop of the Sanitation and Governance Training Program, a technical assistance program first approved by the Bank in July 2015.
Under the program, sanitation professionals from the relevant government agencies, non-governmental and private organizations, reviewed the sector’s governance framework and learned about innovations relevant to Haiti. Participants also learned how to use existing policies and strategies together with action planning tools to develop project concepts that will help to increase access to improved sanitation facilities.
Water shortage worsened cholera outbreak
In Haiti, the critical lack of access to safe water and sanitation worsened the cholera crisis that emerged following the 2010 earthquake.
Dr Darran Newman, Division Chief (Ag.), Technical Cooperation Division, highlighted the significance of the training, stating: “When we at CDB approved this program, few short-term training programs were available at the time to improve understanding of sanitation services. This project has made professionals in Haiti better able to plan, and to enlist projects and investments that can give more Haitians access to safe, clean sanitation.”
The intervention, jointly hosted by Haiti’s National Directorate of Water Supply and Sanitation (DINEPA) and CDB, included three main training components.
The first, held in late 2015, was a 12-week e-learning course on Governance and Sanitation, where nearly 30 professionals from DINEPA, and the Ministries of the Environment and Public Health and Population, as well as NGOS, received training.
The second component, a five-day workshop in late 2017, led to action plans and recommendations for future action by CDB and the donor community.
The final component, a four-day workshop in September for 75 officials, allowed participants to review the ongoing work and the implementation of the action plans developed since 2017.
Progress made
Progress has been made on several fronts since the project first started. This includes a memorandum of understanding to guide coordination between the various relevant ministries; a strategic plan, and an inter-sectoral action plan aimed at removing implementation barriers. In addition to CDB, a number of donors have supported these activities including the World Bank, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Governments of Switzerland and Spain. The combined efforts of the Haitian government and partners have resulted in the cholera incidence being the lowest since the outbreak in 2010, with mortality down to one per cent.
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