Water Sanitation, and Hygiene Intervention are Required to Prevent Covid-19

Clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services play an essential role in the prevention and protection of people whenever there is a disease outbreak.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak is one of the most significant pandemic outbreaks since the Spanish flu in 1917.

In such a scenario when prevention is the best cure, let us look at some of the measures advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to keep the pandemic at bay in a cost-effective way.

The Initiative

Good WASH and waste management practices are the key ways to fight a cost-effective battle against COVID.

When these practices are followed diligently over a period of time.

It chances of human-to-human transmission can reduce drastically.

WASH practices are also an utmost necessity when a community is recovering from the effects of COVID.

The WHO/UNICEF, in its technical brief on WASH and waste management for COVID 19, says that:

In addition, behavior change techniques and improved facilities should be used frequently.

– Safe management of WASH services along with the application of robust hygiene practices will lead to the prevention of infectious diseases.

This will drastically bring down the number of deaths due to such diseases in a year.

– WHO guidelines on safe management practices for drinking water and sanitation services will be enough to prevent a COVID outbreak.

The economic impact

When it comes to Fragile, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) countries and countries with low and middle-level incomes, human and economic costs will be manifold.

FCV countries house at least two-thirds of the world’s extreme poor.

Since these countries have limited coverage and capacity of water supply, poorer governments.

Fiscally weaker markets and low health care infrastructure, it makes sense to ensure active participation in WASH.

This will ensure containment of the virus as well as lower the immediate impact of the virus.

Emergency Response and the Three Priority Areas

Three priority areas need to be paid attention to in case of emergency responses:

Health care facilities (HCF)s with safe WASH services are a key to protecting patients and providing quality health services.

Whenever there is an outbreak of disease, the services have to meet the minimum quality standards, and they should be separate for infected and non-infected patients.

The above facilities should also be available in temporary HCFS and quarantine sites.

Secondly, the focus should be on improving hand wash hygiene, food hygiene and safe water practices.

There should be an option for portable and fixed handwashing facilities, alcohol and soap-based rubs, adequate water supply for hand washing, and point of use water treatment.

Places where people gather, such as bus stations, markets, schools etc., should have access to soap and hand washing amenities.

Messaging and promotional material to answer COVID-19 outbreaks.

It should be generated with the help of resources such as the Global Handwashing Partnership.

Thirdly, there should be facilities to extend water and sanitation services in times of emergency with services.

such as rapid and low-cost water service for communities, schools, and health care facilities.

There should be provisions of compact water treatment plants,

strategic delivery points of water and sanitation in urban and rural areas.

Further, there should be water delivery tankers and trucks for mobile and quick delivery.

The above can be successful only when these water supply and sanitation (WSS) service providers can get adequate backup in the form of adequate staff, adequate chemical treatment material.

Protective equipment and adequate salary compensation for additional work-loads.

Finally, capacity development in the form of growth of multi-sector, nodal institutions and development of think tanks for policy development, coordination, and collaboration.

It will lead to a far more capable nation.

Conclusion 

The above steps of Covid 19 hygiene and sanitation can serve as a quick guide or reference to those looking for an overview of things to keep in mind while dealing with the pandemic.