Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) continue to thrive in settings where access to safe water, adequate sanitation, and good hygiene remains limited. In Kenya, this close link between WASH and NTDs is well understood, yet programming and planning have often been constrained by fragmented data systems. WASH and NTD datasets have traditionally been collected, analyzed, and reported separately, making it difficult to jointly identify priority areas, align investments, and maximize impact particularly at the county level where implementation decisions are made.
Recognizing this gap, the Ministry of Health, in partnership with WASH Alliance Kenya and with support from the END Fund, initiated the development of a digital WASH–NTD Overlay Dashboard. The objective was to create a unified, evidence-based platform that would bring WASH and NTD data together, strengthen integrated planning and support more strategic investment decisions in endemic areas.
This effort reached a key milestone on 6 February 2026, when national and county stakeholders convened to validate the dashboard and assess its readiness for operational use.
The WASH–NTD Dashboard: An Integrated Decision-Support Tool
The WASH–NTD Overlay Dashboard is designed not as a static data repository, but as a practical decision-support tool tailored to the needs of planners, implementers, and policymakers. By consolidating both historical and real-time data into a single platform, the dashboard enables users to move beyond descriptive reporting toward actionable analysis.
Automated data integration processes draw information from tools such as KoBoToolbox and other sources into a centralized database, reducing reliance on manual data handling and improving data quality. Standardized WASH and NTD indicators allow for consistent analysis and comparison across counties, while integrated partner mapping improves visibility of who is working where and doing what.
Advanced GIS functionality sits at the core of the platform. Ward-level maps, endemicity matrices, and overlay features allow users to visualize disease burden alongside WASH service coverage, making it possible to identify geographic hotspots where integrated interventions are likely to yield the greatest public health impact. Automated reporting further strengthens the dashboard’s utility, enabling users to generate trend analyses and PDF reports on demand to support monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management.
Together, these features position the dashboard as a critical tool for aligning investments with need and improving the efficiency of integrated WASH–NTD programming.
WASH NTD Overlay Dashboard interface
Validation Process and Key Findings
The validation meeting brought together stakeholders from the health, water, education, and development sectors at both national and county levels. Participants were given the opportunity to explore the dashboard independently before engaging in guided sessions that walked through key functionalities, including data filters, GIS layers, and reporting outputs.
The hands-on nature of the validation was instrumental in demonstrating the dashboard’s value. As participants overlaid sanitation coverage data with NTD prevalence, the spatial relationship between inadequate WASH services and disease burden became immediately clear. These visual insights enabled stakeholders to quickly identify high-risk wards and counties where integrated WASH–NTD interventions could be prioritized.
Overall, the validation confirmed that the dashboard addresses a critical gap in integrated planning and provides practical, decision-oriented insights aligned with END Fund and DIF priorities.
Jane Njomo, WASH Alliance Kenya, DIF Project lead interacts with the WASH NTD Dashboard
Stakeholder Feedback and Performance Assessment
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Stakeholders consistently described the dashboard as a single source of truth that brings together information previously scattered across multiple systems and reports. The ability to visualize data geographically, filter by indicators, and generate automated reports was highlighted as particularly valuable for planning and coordination.
A post-validation survey completed by 21 participants yielded an average score of 8.8 out of 10 for clarity, usability, and relevance to decision-making. Respondents emphasized the dashboard’s potential to strengthen targeted planning, improve monitoring and evaluation, support resource mobilization, and enhance coordination among partners.
At the same time, stakeholders provided constructive recommendations to further enhance usability. These included simplifying map visuals, standardizing color schemes, improving metadata transparency, enhancing chart readability, and streamlining data export functions. These refinements are being incorporated to strengthen adoption and long-term use.
From Validation to Action: Operationalization and Advocacy
The dashboard will be hosted at the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI), ensuring institutional ownership, sustainability, and integration into national systems. Building on the successful validation, WASH Alliance Kenya (WAK), together with County Departments of Health, Water and Education, civil society organization networks will collaborate with KNPHI and a GIS consultant to further strengthen the platform’s analytical and visualization capabilities.
The upgraded dashboard is to be used as both a planning and advocacy tool. Counties will leverage its insights to advocate for increased WASH budget allocations, guide targeted technical investments, and strengthen integration with existing NTD programs. By grounding these efforts in credible, localized evidence, the dashboard supports more effective decision-making and improved value for money.
The overlay dashboard will be continuously fed with WASH and NTD data from DIF-supported counties Kakamega, Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia, and Vihiga ensuring that information on local disease patterns, service coverage gaps, and WASH access realities is available to guide planning and investment decisions. By drawing directly from county-level data, the platform allows decision-makers to identify priority areas, allocate resources more effectively, and tailor interventions to the actual needs of communities, including areas with limited access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
Sustainability and Scale-Up Potential
Sustainability has been a core consideration throughout the dashboard’s development. Plans are in place for structured capacity building, institutional handover to relevant government entities, and ongoing technical support to ensure continuity beyond the project period.
Group photo of the delegates at the WASH NTD Dashboard validation meeting
With sustained engagement from the Ministry of Health, KNPHI, county governments, and partners, the WASH–NTD Dashboard offers strong potential for scale-up beyond the initial DIF-supported counties. The platform provides a replicable model for integrating WASH and NTD data that can inform national planning and future donor investments.
