WASH for Healthy Lives (W4HL) project is a behaviour change communication intervention aimed at tackling issues related to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene practices prevalent in rural communities within Edo and Nasarawa states. 

Goal: Enhance emergency WASH outcomes and community resilience by prioritizing WASH in emergency response, alongside sustained advocacy, community action, and infrastructure rehabilitation for safe water access.

The W4HL Project adopts a holistic, community-driven, and evidence-based approach to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene outcomes in underserved communities. The project prioritizes culturally sensitive interventions led by trained CHIPS and Community Health Educators as Inter-Personal Communication Agents (IPCAs) to address social and religious norms. It leverages data from baseline and endline assessments to inform targeted strategies and adapts to community needs. Through school and community engagement, system strengthening, and partnerships with local vendors for sustainable service delivery, the project ensures lasting impact. Key objectives include increasing access to safe water, promoting hygiene practices, building local capacity, and integrating WASH into emergency response and primary healthcare systems.

The W4HL project has significantly improved hygiene behaviors and access to safe water in target communities. Since inception in 2022 to date, over 60 million liters of water have been treated using the P&G Purifier of Water. The project has successfully established environmental/WASH clubs in 30 schools and trained over 80 CHIPS and Community Health Educators, who continue to serve as trusted IPCAs. Sustainable access to Point of Use (PoU) water treatment products was achieved through partnerships with over 250 local vendors, including pharmacies, Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs), and General stores. Also, state and community-led actions supported the rehabilitation of WASH facilities, such as installation and repairs of borehole and toilet construction in schools and PHCs. Integration into routine PHC sensitisation and emergency response further strengthened system resilience, laying a strong foundation for long-term impact.