Multiple outbreaks, including measles, Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD), dengue fever, and Malaria, have greatly increased the disease burden in Afghanistan. The leading causes of morbidity among all age groups are Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) and Acute Diarrheal Disease (ADD) across the country. The risk of AWD/cholera is considerably increasing in the context of humanitarian emergencies due to inadequate access to clean water and prevailing poor sanitary conditions. Afghanistan WASH Cluster understood the capacity gaps of WASH partners/organizations and mobilized funding opportunities from ECHO to build national capacity of WASH partners on AWD/Cholera response and preparedness.

Afghanistan WASH Cluster engaged an international consultant and organized a technical group discussion on 26-27 June 2023 in collaboration with Save the Children, UNICEF, IOM, WHO, IRC, and SI to develop and finalize tools for building WASH partners’ capacity on AWD/Cholera response and preparedness in Afghanistan. The overall objective has been set up as follows: 
 

• Ensure that participants share an understanding of disease transmission, including AWD/cholera, its specifics, and case management.

• Ensure participants understand and are familiar with the response strategy in Afghanistan.

• Explain in detail the transmission contexts and how different WASH packages and service delivery mechanisms are used.

• To improve the Infection Prevention Control/WASH capacity of WASH partners to strengthen prevention measures and reduce the risk of transmission of AWD/cholera and other diseases.

• Describe the WASH and Infection Prevention Control elements needed to set up and manage an AWD/cholera treatment facility.

• Ensure a standardized approach to practices and procedures for all health facilities and WASH Cluster partners.

• Describe the different WASH interventions for AWD/cholera response in communities.

• Equip participants with materials /tools and knowledge.

• Participants understand elements of good practice around how a multisectoral WASH/Health/RCCE AWD/cholera response can be coordinated.

• Understanding of the cascade training plan for regional capacity strengthening

   

  A national AWD/Cholera response and preparedness workshop conducted from 3-6 July 2023 by WASH Cluster and Save the Children was one of the technical organizations to train 23 WASH practitioners from 15 different NGOs and INGOs in Afghanistan.  WASH Cluster developed an action plan in coordination with the technical working group to roll out this training in eight regions of Afghanistan. Save the Children was nominated as the lead resource organization along with the WASH Cluster for rolling out AWD/Cholera response and preparedness workshops in Central and Eastern regions. In the Central region, Save the Children, in collaboration with the WASH Cluster, WHO, and UNICEF, built the capacity of 26 participants from 19 organizations from 07-10 August 2023. Another regional workshop was conducted in close coordination with UNICEF and facilitated by the WASH Cluster from 28-31 August 2023, and 30 participants trained across 17 organizations from the eastern region.

  With funding support from ECHO, the WASH Cluster led this initiative in collaboration with Save the Children, UNICEF, WHO, IOM, IRC, and SI. All 79 participants received certificates of completion of the training from the WASH cluster.

  Save the Children has been appreciated for leading technical sessions and supporting the WASH Cluster with planning and designing the capacity development workshop.