Safe Water and AIDS Project (SWAP) has been operating in Western Kenya since 2005 with public health programs, research and emergency response. SWAP's mission is to provide innovative solutions for improved health and economic status of communities. SWAP has joined the Ministry of Health COVID 19 rapid response teams to help prevent the spread and mitigate the impact. Currently we are reaching out to remote public health facilities with hand washing stations, soap, masks and hygiene promotion.
The COVID 19 pandemic is rapidly spreading in Kenya where we are now witnessing community spread. The health facilities are ill equipped and hard to reach. The area is experiencing erratic weather with many areas flooded. The health workers are not well trained and do not have sufficient supplies, such as hand washing stations, soaps, masks, and other protective materials. There is a chronic shortage of the most essential supplies and a high risk of hospital acquired infections.
SWAP has been working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Humanitarian hub members to respond to outbreaks and emergencies such as flood and cholera. SWAP has a well experienced team and also supplies which can support the prevention of spread. With additional supplies and training on hygiene promotion and social behavioral change and preventive measures on COVID-19, the health workers will be able to practice hygiene and prevent hospital acquired infections.
We have witnessed a change in behavior whereby the general public focuses more on hygiene and hand washing and social distancing. The supplies given such as hand washing stations, will serve health facilities for many years to come. The locally trained tailors will be economically empowered and address a shortage of supplies of mask. Health workers are more aware about the required Water and Sanitation standards and we will see more efforts from the Government to budget and influence policies.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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