CO-Wash in Nut In Niger, Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) has consistently remained above the alert threshold (of 10%) in recent years in children aged 6-59 months, sometimes exceeding the emergency threshold of 15%.
According to the national survey on child malnutrition conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and the National Malnutrition Office in May/June 2013, children malnutrition rate (girls and boys) aged 6 to 23 months remains very high. As a consequence, for Agadez region, GAM rate is 15.2% and SAM rate (Severe Acute Malnutrition) is 4%. These rates demonstrate an alarming situation for Agadez region according to WHO standards. Infant mortality is of greater concern (the under 5) which still remains very high in Niger (127/1 000). High malnutrition prevalence rate contributes to a large extent to this situation. In fact, research suggests that 45% of infant mortality in Niger is related to malnutrition.
Vulnerable people affected by nutritional insecurity are mainly those who do not benefit from drinking water and sanitation. A great majority of them are from the rural population.  In the rural environment, where more than 82% of the national population live, the access rate to drinking water is 49.12% . That is less than one Niger citizen out of two (from this environment) has access to drinking water (against 48.87% in 2011).
Moreover, most nutritional treatment centres have no drinking water and sanitation infrastructure.In the centres where these infrastructures exist, they are in a dilapidated condition due to lack of maintenance and obsolescence, thus making their use limited.
The aim of the current project consists in contributing to fighting malnutrition through
i) the upgrading of targeted nutritional centres through the provision of Water, Hygiene and sanitation infrastructures in the health centers; and
ii) also within the most affected communities.
The current project activities are targeting severe malnourished mother/child combined who attend the nutritional centres (CRENAS/CRENI) and as a consequence their respective households. Sensitization actions will be carried out for the benefit of the mothers-children, to the members of their households (men and women) and to the community witha view to act on the underlying causes of malnutrition in the community.
Oxfam has been implementing projects to fight malnutritionin Tillabéry region since 2012 (Ouallam health District) and in Agadez region (Tchirozérine Health District through of screening and referral activities of malnourished children to nutritional centres.
From May 2014, Oxfam committed itself to the implementation of Water, Hygiene and Sanitation thanks to an OFDA funding, in 7 nutritional centres in Ouallam health centre and 3 nutritional centres in Agadez District with a support in hygiene kits  () provided by Unicef.
The project (May 2014 # April 2015) was welcomed with great interest by the managers of health centres and heads of nutritional centres.  It is contributing in the implementation of the Wash in Nutrition strategy defined for the Sahel by the Wash regional Group based in Dakar (regional coordination Structure of Wash clusters in West and Central Africa)
Furthermore, our action participates in the attainment of Aim 3 of Oxfam Niger Country Strategy (JICAS 2011- 2015) whose specific Objective addressed by the project consists in «Building Oxfam capacities, procedures and resources to set up quality responses to WASH crises (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene promotion) and EFSVL (Emergency Food Security for Vulnerable Livelihoods) of which risk reductions, lobbying and gender are key components».
This project will contribute to strengthen and expand the interventions already carried out by Oxfam in Niger nutritional treatment centres and within the communities referencing severe cases of malnourished children to build evidence baseline to serve as leverage in other health districts.