By Rashid Mukaire | Secretary General
How the initiation is preventing the problem of COVID-19?
The program is involving children and their parents at household levels to construct Tippy Taps for regular hand washing with soap, development of a Tippy Tap construction manual, training of village health teams on COVID-19 best prevention practices and use of village health teams to sensitize children and their parents on how to use Tippy Taps and soap for hand washing and how to use non-medical face masks in accordance to Ugandan ministry of health and WHO guidelines in the context of COVID-19, engagement with Busoga Kingdom cultural leaders, local district leadership to create more confidence among community through village health teams. Handwashing with soap prevents families from getting COVID-19. “Tippy taps” are simple, free devices as convenient access point for water and a visual reminder to wash one’s hands at crucial times like the current era of COVID-19. It encourages families to wash their hands with soap hence, reducing drastically the chances of being effected with COVID-19. Incomes are served since the technology is cheap in the current resource-limited setting.
How Partners are supporting the initiative?
Iganga district directorate of health services, Busoga cultural kingdom, Ministry of health and Uganda national bureau of standards are the partners. Our work is already recognized by the district, Busoga cultural kingdom has mobilized masses to embrace the use of Tippy Taps with soap for hand washing as a major prevention method of COVID-19 in addition to the use of non-medical reusable face masks and the provision of guidelines on the use of non-medical face masks respectively.
Impact to-date
Handwashing with soap has reduced by 60% of families from getting COVID-19. “Tippy taps” are simple, free devices as convenient access point for water and a visual reminder to wash one’s hands at crucial times like the current era of COVID-19. Incomes have been served by 25% since the technology is cheap in the current resource-limited setting. There will be no carbon emissions registered since there were no need for demand of thousands of tons of firewood as materials for construction of Tippy Tips. By empowering communities and village health teams to develop solutions that work best to meet their specific needs, many have been able to eliminate poor sanitation and adopt sound hygiene practices. 30 people (60 percent of whom are women) and 20 people (40 percent of whom are men) as village health teams have been empowered to improve hygiene behavior and sanitation practices, while 82% of the target communities have adopted handwashing programs. To date, 95% of the 100 homesteads of 900 people in project areas have constructed and use Tippy taps with soap for hand washing and they are knowledgeable on the use of non-medical and reusable face masks as another prevention measure of COVID-19.
How the initiative creates positive impacts
Tippy taps are a cost-effective and simple solution to this problem, and this has been playing a vital role in this health and hygiene program. Therefore, revenue from the sale of masks will contribute to sustainability of the program too. From the current tippy tap program and after the construction of a mask production Centre, there will be sales wing of which will be used for further scaling up. The target area is very large, therefore this idea is not a mere program but a business that will stay for life. And as we go along with the business, the lives of people will be safe from COVID-19 in terms of health as people will be putting on masks and reduction in the treatment of COVID-19 will contribute to reduction in poverty levels as well. On top of this, communities with adequate soap and water amenities often say that it results in a sense of comfort and pride. Therefore, we think everyone will be able to wash their hands safely.
Intended Impact in the next three months
We plan to target 1,200 people by constructing 120 Tippy taps to practice handwashing with soap. Also, sensitizations on how to use non-medical reusable face masks done with the intension of further reducing by 98% in prevalence of COVID 19 cases. Thereafter, the program will be replicated to other village households.
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