In February 1993 WASH published a report entitled "Water Shortage and Related Public Health Problems: An Action Plan for the City of Beira, Mozambique" (WASH Field Report No. 389). in response to this plan, Africare wrote the grant proposal, "The Sofala Province Integrated Health, Water, and Sanitation Project." This document contained objectives reflecting the state of emergency within the public health sector at that time (early 1993), including measures responding to the perceived need for immediate construction of water systems throughout the city. This proposal was funded by USAID in October 1993, and a health, water, and sanitation (HWS) team was formed to implement the project. The stated purpose of the proposed activity was health improvement within selected peri-urban populations of Beira through the reduction and control of water-borne and other diarrheal diseases.