Vietnamese Officials Trained on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS)

From December 6-10, a USAID-supported workshop in Nha Trang, Vietnam brought together officials from Vietnam’s National Centre for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (NCERWASS) to learn innovative approaches to promoting household water treatment and safe storage programmes. With support from USAID/RDMA partners, World Health Organization and WaterSHED, nearly 50 participants from NCERWASS explored topics including HWTS technology options; promoting HWTS through behaviour change communication; implementation strategies; health impact assessments; the roles governments can play in support of HWTS; and, case studies of successful HWTS initiatives.

The workshop’s diverse attendees included officials from; 11 provincial centres for rural water supply and sanitation; the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department of Water Resources; the National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health; and, the National Institute of Hygiene Epidemiology. Local NGO partners, including SNV, PATH, World Vision, and Samaritan’s Purse also participated. The workshop strengthened collaboration among HWTS stakeholders and was an essential learning opportunity for Vietnamese officials developing the national HWTS action plan, also supported by USAID through WHO.