By Alie Eleveld | Founder SWAP and Technical Advisor
GLOBAL GIVING REPORT
SEPTEMBER 2022
Help protect 1,000 health workers in Western Kenya
Introduction
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 a wealth of experience in public health interventions and has worked in collaboration with County Health Management Teams to respond to COVID-19 especially with focus on health care facilities supporting and protecting the frontline work force and the community at large from COVID-19 spread.
For that reason, the GlobalGiving platform was used to source for crowd funding from donors and well-wishers in our effort to protect health workers, reduce the COVID-19 spread and mitigate the impact.
Production of Alcohol Based Hand Rub (ABHR)
Our Lab technicians continued with the Production of Alcohol Based Hand Rub (ABHR). In 2020 SWAP received approval by the Kenya Bureau of Standards for the production and distribution of ABHR. This became an essential supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Distribution has been ongoing to 47 health care facilities in two sub counties of Kisumu County to all patient care areas. SWAP also ensured that health care facilities had hand washing stations and soap placed at strategic points. On average the lab team produces 200 liters per month, which apart from health care facilities is also distributed to hot spot and worship areas.
Capacity Building of Production Unit of ABHR in Turkana County
Through sharing our work with various stakeholders our lab team was invited by Turkana County Government to give them on the job training of how to produce Alcohol Based Hand Rub, use of correct formulas and approvals required. Supplies especially in hard ship areas like Turkana have been problematic therefore they desired to have their own production unit.
Kisumu County Vaccination Outreach
Kisumu County organized a COVID-19 stakeholder’s forum in order to seek support from partners during their COVID-19 vaccination outreach. SWAP was able to donate 33 liters of Alcohol Based Hand Rub to be used by the vaccination teams. Further support was given to help with data entry in the Ministry of Health portal for those vaccinated.
Donation of Alcohol Based Hand Rub during Yellow Fever Vaccination Outreach
In North Eastern Kenya in Garissa and Isiolo Counties some suspected yellow fever cases triggered the Ministry of Health to do massive yellow fever vaccination outreach. SWAP was requested to donate 40 liters of Alcohol Based Hand Rub to support the teams and protect the health workers.
STREAM disinfectant generators at Health Care Facilities
The lab team trained and installed STREAM disinfectant generators at 8 health care facilities for infection prevention and control. This generates chlorine using salt and water and supports facilities to reduce hospital acquired infections and mitigates the spread of COVID-19. Chlorine is used for cleaning surfaces, treating water and disinfecting laundry. The Hospitals used to have interrupted supplies of the same and can now make their own. On average each facility produces around 300 to 500 liters of chlorine per month and they support the surrounding smaller dispensaries and health centers. Our team visits the facility on monthly basis for trouble shooting, on the job training and monitoring of its use and distribution. The facilities who were provided the STREAM disinfectant generators are located in all sub counties of Kisumu County.
Production of Liquid Soap
Following demand from the health workers and community members SWAP started a production unit for Liquid Soap. During distribution of hand washing stations with bar soap we realized that bar soap often gets dirty, dry, soaked during rain or gets missing or eaten by goats or rats. Preferred for hand hygiene was liquid soap. Renovations were made of our store and investments were made to procure supplies and ingredients needed. The soap is distributed to health care facilities, hot spot areas, worship areas and sold for sustainability. Approval was given after submitting several samples by the Kenya Bureau of Standards.
COVID 19 Waste Water Based Epidemiology Research
With technical support from the University of Illinois at Chicago SWAP started testing waste water for COVID-19. A PCR testing kit was donated and intensive training on standard operating procedures and sampling was done. On weekly basis the lab team in collaboration with the public health officers and representatives of the Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company collects samples from waste water treatment plants, Hospitals, lagoons, prisons, markets and other hot spot areas and analyses the waste water. All positive samples are further taken to the Walter Reed Lab for genomic sequencing. All data from this is entered into a COVID 19 Data base and is helping with mathematical modeling and projections of COVID-19.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT AND DONATIONS
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