Considerations  for incorporating WSPs and HWTS as part of national 

policy 

Prepared by Soutsakhone Chanthaphone and Soulivanh SouksavathMinistry of Health and WHO, Lao PDR

Annual Meeting of the International Network on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage and Joint Workshop on Household Water Treatment and Safe 

Storage and Water Safety Plans; Nagpur, India, 14‐16 November 2013

Situation Analysis

HighlightsPDR Lao has made very good progress in

water and sanitationBut challenges remain:

• High coverage disparities: on a regional basis, between rich-poor, between urban-rural

• High open defecation rates• The majority of primary schools do not have

adequate water and sanitation• Hygiene practices are poor

Rural Urban Disparities

Sanitation Water

People in rural communities without roads are twice as likely to not use improved water as people in urban communities, and 5 times more likely to not use improved sanitation Source:  LSIS 2011‐

2012

WASH in Schools

Water and sanitation coverage in schools in Lao PDR is low compared to the global average

Source:  UNICEF 2012 COARs and EMIS 

71% 68%

53%

42%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Water SanitationWorld Avg. (126 countries average)Lao PDR

Average of countries with available data.

Note that data is only on existence of facilities, not functionality of systems.

Household Water Treatment

Only 53% of people in households without improved water treat their drinking water with an approved method

Thus almost half of the 30% without an improved source (or 15% of the total population) are drinking water that is likely contaminated

Water treatment practices are very different in different parts of the country

Source:  LSIS 2011‐2012

Work Plan (Jul 12 – Dec 13)1. Institutional Strengthening2. Strengthening MoH Capacity for surveillance 

and independent testing3. Normalize WSP in urban areas

Work Plan (Jul 12 – Dec 13) Cont.4. Establishing WSPs in Rural Areas Dispatching international consultant to mobilize the 

activities of rural and urban WSPs Cooperate with NGOs and WASH Center to adapt the 

rural WSPs manual to the situation of Lao PDR Developing IEC materials on WSP for rural water systems ToT and training for central and provincial WASH Center  

staff Pilot with NGO partner and WASH Center for 

implementing WSPs for community water system in two provinces (Bokeo and Savannakhet provinces)

Plan to scale up the HWTS and WSPs1. Strategies:• Integrating these activities within the overall Urban WSS

and RWSS programme.• Application HWTS and WSPs into the RWSS field

methodology steps.• Dissemination HWTS and WSPs concept and hygiene

promotion through IEC material.• Building capacity on HWTS and WSPs promotion.

Plan to scale up the HWTS an WSPs (cont’)

2. External systems or support require to maintain these strategies:

• Technical assistance• Transfer knowledge to government staff and

other concerned• Assist to develop action plan and

communication with donors

Plan to scale up the HWTS and WSPs (cont’)

3. Criteria used in selecting indictors of success:

• Affordable to pay and contribute• Sustainability in O&M• Acceptable by household communities• Diarrhea incidence decreases..

Plan to scale up the HWTS and WSPs (cont’)

4. Progress measurement toward our goals:• Widely used by household • Could be demonstrated as pilot project• Could be replicable• Acceptable for both HWTS facilities, WSPs

and water quality• Link with WSS communicating to MDGs.

Constraints

• Most of the staff has limited capacity on HWTS and WSPs.

• Monitoring system not strong enough.• Healthy education promotion not well

functioning.• Distribution system of chlorine and limited

HWTS methods not well developed.• Lack of coordination with concerned agencies.• Limitation of support fund for the HWTS and

WSPs.

Ideas still to be considered….• An additional component targeting the Ministry of Water Resources

and Environment (MONRE) on catchment issues

• Sensitization of provincial authorities as key budget holders to HWTS and WSPs

• Advocating for HWTS and WSPs to be considered in IWRM projects

• Establishment of a model urban and rural WSPs for learning exchange as set out in the National Plan of Action for Rural WASH

• Outcome/Impact assessment studies

• Eventual launch of a town where it’s “safe to drink the tap water”

Thank you for your attention