WHO launches call for proposals integrating water and air quality

WHO has just launched a Request for Proposals to fund two pilot projects in the range of US$ 30,000 to 60,000 integrating household water treatment and indoor air quality interventions in sub-Saharan Africa

What is the benefit of reducing indoor air pollution to prevent a child from having pneumonia if, two months later, that same child becomes sick or even dies of diarrhoea because of unsafe drinking water?

This rationale lies behind a move towards more integrated approaches to addressing environmental health issues, in particular in the home environment. One might argue that it is difficult enough to implement household water treatment interventions or to run improved stoves programmes one at a time, yet we believe that there are important synergies in the delivery mechanisms that should be explored and might ultimately allow us to achieve greater health gains. With funding from the USEPA's Office for Children's Health Protection, WHO would like to test whether the joint implementation of household water treatment and indoor air pollution interventions works. Please note that we are placing the emphasis on testing a hypothesis (i.e. added value of joining up interventions) rather than on achieving health impacts on a large scale.

To this end, WHO has just launched a Request for Proposals. We are planning to fund two pilot projects in the range of US$ 30,000-60,000 to encourage thinking about, and implementation of, innovative approaches for integrating household water treatment and indoor air quality interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Please note the relatively short timeline: electronic proposals must be received at WHO no later than 15 February 2008, 12:00 hours, Central European Time.

For more information

• Request for Proposals
• WHO Water, Sanitation and Health Programme website