Ensuring quality hygiene and sanitation to fight COVID-19 and save lives in vulnerable communities.
The challenges of inaccessible WASH services along with the pandemic COVID-19 was a major problem in Cameroon. To help vulnerable populations protect themselves during COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF with the support of the UK Department for International Development (DFID), carried out activities to strengthen and ensure access to WASH services. Community engagement also was used to support for prevention and control of COVID-19.
In the Littoral Region, the collaboration with the Delegation of Public Health, 90 individuals with prominent influence in their communities have been identified and trained to carry out outreach initiatives to inform people about Cholera and COVID-19 prevention. The local leaders hold educative sessions, engage in outreach activities, and broadcast awareness messages on local radio stations. Furthermore, social media material for digital interaction has been produced. This material likewise were employed to raise awareness in public areas. This has contributed to reach 350,000 people with critical hygiene messages such as hand washing with soap.
Ultimately, this help to keep people safe and to ensure that the impact of the virus is kept to a minimum. “These interventions have made a valuation contribution to prevent the spread of disease. They contributed to a change in the behavior of the communities’, said the regional delegate of public health.
To promote effective hand washing with soap and clean water especially, the program has procured, sanitation and hygiene supplies to families and communities. “Previously, we have been using old, abandoned bottles to collect water, sometimes they told us to serve ourselves by the end because our containers were not safe and people did not want to mix with us, but now with brand new buckets we are served quickly.” Said Soumaria who received hand washing facilities with soap to improve hygiene practices.
Training has always been the cornerstone of the program, providing communities with the necessary skills and knowledge to become self-reliant. Awareness sessions and campaigns from time to time on various WASH-related topics, including handwashing, disease prevention, COVID-19 vaccination, household water treatment and safe waste disposal were organized.
“By providing such indispensable knowledge of handwashing, the interventions have changed the communities’ lives for the better” said Godwin Tanda, the Executive Director at Environmental Protection and Development Association (EPDA). “But many factors slow down our response. Limited access to remote locations shortages all affect our teams. Despite the challenges, we continue to support the most vulnerable communities in the Littoral Region to keep them safe from COVID 19 and Cholera. We are working hard to ensure that they have access to clean water and safe sanitation facilities. Thanks UNICEF and DFID for their support” he said.
