Safe potable water and sanitary disposal of human wastes for all were one of the primary goals of the United Nations Water Conference at Mar del Plata, Argentina in 1977. The action plan developed at this conference called for the establishment of an International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation decade over the period 1981 to 1990 to vigorously address the water and sanitation needs of over two billion people on Earth. This paper describes the role of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its technical assistance arm, the Water and Sanitation for Health (WASH) Project, in helping countries in Africa to develop decade related plans.