To Prevent Cholera in Zimbabwe, International Medical Corps Awarded

USAID Grant to Implement Critical Water/Sanitation/Hygiene Programs

Margaret Aguirre
Director, Global Communications
310.826.7800
maguirre@InternationalMedicalCorps.org

Los Angeles, CA – September 27, 2010 - Through a United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) grant, made possible with the generous support of the American people,
International Medical Corps will increase water/sanitation/hygiene (WASH) programs in
communities and schools in Zimbabwe. The project - benefitting 200,000 people including
75,000 schoolchildren - will draw on International Medical Corps’ existing relationships and
experience working to prevent cholera in the country, as well as its global technical capacity and
lessons learned.

With support from USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), International
Medical Corps has been implementing WASH and emergency cholera preparedness and
response programs in Mashonaland Central province since September 2009. Activities have
included increasing access to safe water and sanitation in rural health clinics, training Village
Health Workers (VHWs) to improve cholera prevention awareness at the community level and
the construction of 500 latrines for vulnerable households.

International Medical Corps’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) baseline survey report,
conducted in October 2009, and WASH assessment conducted in October/November 2009*,
revealed that much still needs to be done to increase access to sanitation and safe water
sources. Although over half of the respondents reported that they had some toilet facility in the
home, in some districts, sanitation coverage was as low as 46%. In schools, although 50% have
access to functioning “Blair” latrines, almost none of them are equipped with hand-washing
stations. Through continued funding from OFDA, International Medical Corps will scale-up its
WASH interventions to encompass schools and a greater number of households and VHWs.
The organization will continue to construct latrines and hand-washing facilities and rehabilitate
boreholes. The organization will also train pump minders, water point committees and VHWs to
ensure greater access to safe water and sanitation and increased hygiene awareness at the
community level.

From evidence gathered by ISL (Integrated Sustainable Livelihoods), a local NGO, it has been
reported that 70% of girls in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West do not attend school
when they are menstruating due to lack of affordable sanitary pads. International Medical Corps
will pilot the use of reusable sanitary pads developed by ISL and UNIFEM at 75 schools in
conjunction with hygiene promotion activities. International Medical Corps will conduct an
opinion survey and review attendance records to assess whether the reusable sanitary pads are
an effective solution to the problem.

Since its inception more than 25 years ago, International Medical Corps’ mission has been
consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster, and disease, by
delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This approach of helping people help
themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information
visit: www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org.
*275 respondents were interviewed for the KAP survey and 17 clinics and 31 schools were assessed in International
Medical Corps’ WASH assessment.