Partnerships that leverage key strengths have been strategically utilised to enhance the capacities of 10 County governments to fight COVID-19. The Hygiene Behaviour Change Coalition (HBCC) led by Amref Health Africa and the National Business Compact on Coronavirus with the support from UKAID and Unilever is on the road conducting Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) training to County health care workers on COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control. During the week of 28th September to 2nd October, the training facilitated by the Ministry of Health trainers sensitised over 800 county health care workers in Migori and Kisii Counties.
After touring the Coast and Mount Kenya regions, the Community Health Workers (CHWs) Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) training went west with sessions conducted in Kisii and Migori. With the two counties being major transit areas and sharing an international border, respectively, these sessions were designed to address the potential danger in these communities and help mitigate any potential risks.
Through the HBCC project, Amref Health Africa donated personal protective equipment (PPEs) to County Public Health Officials from Migori and Kisii to bolster their arsenal in the fight against COVID-19. “The PPEs will go a long way to enhance our capacity in the fight against COVID-19, particularly now that we are planning to start community awareness in preparation for the reopening of schools,” said Mr Phidale Majiwa, Chief Officer, Public Health, Migori County. Murals and radio programmes will be aired on local vernacular stations to propagate BCC/IPC information to communities, complementing the sensitisation process.
The Hygiene Behaviour Change Coalition (HBCC) is implementing activities in ten high-risk counties through to May 2021. Comprised of stakeholders from both the private and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the Coalition is supported by Unilever and the United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development. The activities of the program will reach approximately 5 million people with vital, timely and reliable behaviour change programs to combat and stop the spread of COVID-19.