Community Management of Environmental Health, known as GESCOME (Gestion Communautaire de Santé Environnementale), and implemented by the CDM-led USAID/Environmental Health Project team in Benin, used community-level decision-making to address diarrheal disease prevention in selected towns. Engaging citizens and government, the activity supplied public latrines and water points. Participatory community health communication helped to ensure proper use of latrines and led to improved hygiene behaviors. The GESCOME approach—combining participatory problem-solving and health communication with good governance and coalition building among local government, civil societies, and communities—has outstanding potential for implementation on a broader scale.
CLIENT: USAID Global Health Bureau, USAID/Benin Mission
LOCATION: Benin