Integration of water sanitation and hygiene into HIV/AIDS home-based care strategies : october 29 – november 1, 2007, Malawi Workshop Report

This document is a report of a workshop on Integration of Water Sanitation and Hygiene into HIV/AIDS Home-Based Care Strategies held October 29 – November 1, 2007 at the Malawi Institute of Management, Lilongwe, Malawi. The workshop was designed to maximize interaction among participants. The overall framework included a day of outlining the background for the integration issue at the global and national level and inviting inputs from mixed groups of WSH and HBC implementers on the strengths and barriers to integration from their perspective. Days two and three were dedicated to working in small groups to develop two lists of recommendations: one for integrating WSH activities into HBC programming and the other for WSH implementers to encourage them to consider the special needs of PLWHA in the design and implementation of WSH programs. An effort was made to form mixed groups of WSH and HBC implementers to ensure interaction between the sectors and the combined expertise needed to craft useful recommendations. The groups met at several points in the workshop to begin to develop comprehensive recommendations for sector guidelines which consider the essential guidance elements, then implementation considerations around systems and supplies; human resources; capacity building and support materials, and other factors. The final day focused on the development of an action plan to be implemented following the workshop to carry forward the objectives of the workshop in Malawi. [authors abstract]