Action
The objectives of UNICEF's WES programme is to contribute to the reduction of Infant Mortality Rate, Under-five Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate due to water-related diseases, eradication of Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm), as well as to improve health in general, overall socio-economic development and quality of life for women and children. The means of reaching these objectives will be by contributing to the fulfillment of the basic right of the Ethiopian people to have access to clean water, adequate sanitation facilities and a healthy living environment. Supporting water and sanitation for schools and creating a child/girls friendly environment in the schools is another major objective of UNICEF WES programme. UNICEF aims at assisting the Government of Ethiopia to increase the water coverage from 31 to 40 per cent by 2006. UNICEF's contribution will be the construction of new water supply schemes and rehabilitation of old systems. Furthermore, in the same period UNICEF will contribute to increasing the sanitation coverage from 17 per cent to 30 per cent, by supporting families to adopt a sanitary lifestyle and assisting them in the construction of household latrines, community latrines and school latrines. Another area of intervention will be to strengthen the capacity in the country at all levels to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate water and sanitation projects. Due consideration will also be given to create higher awareness of water, sanitation and hygiene issues to ensure higher standards of hygiene practices. To achieve these programme objectives in the country UNICEF WES programmes requires an estimated amount of $13 million each year a total of about $40 million for the coming three years (2004 -2006).
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