Belize
As of 2020, only 1.46% of Belizeans lacked access to a handwashing facility. This is driven, in part, by a robust community health worker program. The country achieved high levels of access despite low scores of 0.55 and 1.06 on the HHAFT Tracker and Assessment’s 4-point scale, respectively. Even with such high coverage, Belize may benefit from developing a national policy, establishing national targets, diversifying financing, strengthening monitoring systems; and engaging the private sector. These may help limit backsliding in the future. The scores suggest some other factors are at play that without focused efforts to establish HH targets and indicators; develop a more robust, diversified financing strategy; it may be difficult to reach the last mile and non-traditional settings to achieve universal HH. It is recommended the country examine whether it makes sense to create a dedicated HH roadmap.
Tracker
| Milestone | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Prepare for Action | 1.20 |
| Analyse the Situation / Assess the Need | 0.75 |
| Prioritise Actions | 0.20 |
| Execute Plans | 0.33 |
| Monitor, Evaluate and Course Correct | 0.25 |
| Average | 0.55 |
Belize made the greatest progress in integrating HH into multiple sectors (water, health, education) that align with priority settings, identify stakeholders, and establishing a coordination mechanism to facilitate implementation. This achievement may also be a weakness; there is no national policy specific to HH. HH is a sub-pillar of WinS, embedded within the MoE’s Strategic Framework for Education, which will be launched in [XX]. In preparation for wider roll-out of HH programs under the MoE framework, stakeholders will need to focus on strengthening M&E frameworks, which will help prioritize actions, and ultimately create action plans to execute and sustain efforts.
Assessment
| Parameter | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Governance | 1.30 |
| Financing | 1.00 |
| Data and Information | 1.00 |
| Capacity Development | 1.00 |
| Innovation | 1.00 |
| Average | 1.06 |
The country identified the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), as the lead agency. The MoHW, in conjunction with the WASH Multi-Sectoral Body defined Institutional arrangements and set clear targets for HH. Belize is also well-positioned on capacity development, with a strategy in place and curricula and tools available for some priority areas. The costed budget covers capacity development, coordination, governance, and health promotion. However, current financing addresses < 50% of costs. Developing a comprehensive financial strategy, and diversifying funding will be key to sustaining Belize’s impressive progress. Expanding and standardizing the existing M&E framework for WASH beyond schools, and engaging with the private sector to draw on their innovations to drive progress are additional areas of focus.
