The Amref Health Africa -Tanzania has reached 87,154 pupils with hand washing facilities aimed at fighting COVID-19 spread and other communicable diseases in three regions.
The pupils have been reached through the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition (HBCC) project implemented in the past twelve months
The project that was funded by UKAID and Unilever to reinforce the behavior change narrative among the high-risk public places has been implemented in 64 public schools and health care facilities in Mwanza, Dodoma and Dar es Salaam
“The main objective of the project was to implement rapid behavior change actions for prevention and control of the communicable diseases within the project areas.
“It also focused on reducing exposure to acts or behavior that may lead to diarrhoea and transmission of other respiratory infections like COVID-19 at schools and health care facilities through hygiene promotion activities,” said Dr Florence Temu, Country Director for Amref Health Africa Tanzania.
According to her, the project aimed at linking the National Environmental Health, Hygiene and Sanitation Strategy (NEHHSAS) and supporting phase-II of the National Sanitation Campaign (NSC)-2016-2020 that focuses on improving sanitation and hygiene conditions at household level, in health care facilities and in schools.
The hygiene facilities will also be accessed by members of the community by hand washing especially in a critical time of outbreaks or risks, Dr Temu said.
“Community members in the regions will also be able to access the sustainable handwashing facilities at nearby schools and health centers
She promised that during these challenging times where the entire world is fighting against Covid 19 pandemic Amref Health Africa will continue playing its role of ensuring schools and health centres have access to modern hand washing facilities
Expressing her gratitude to the donors, Head teacher of Kiwalani Primary School in Ilala Municipal Dar es salaam Ms Sophia Mariki said that for more than three years the school experienced a dramatic challenge of lack of water in its compound, which caused pupils and teachers to fail to practice good hygiene behaviors even during eruption of COVID-19.
Article was first published on Daily News, Tanzania.