HANDWASHING SOAP AND FACE MASKS FOR COVID-19

Photo by Céline Cousteau

Face masks and Handwashing with soap, when done correctly, is critical in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but millions of people have no soap and ready access to a place to wash their hands. In total, only 3 out of 5 people worldwide have basic handwashing facilities, according to the latest data by UNICEF.

Therefore, URCSF is requesting for a financial support to provide the
following items to communities in this fight of COVID-19
ITEMS AND BUDGET
1- 12000 bars of washing soap @ $0.5= 6000
2- 10L plastic water jerricans for hand washing @ $1 x 2000 pieces =$2000
3- Face masks @$ 0.3 x6818= $ 2000
Grand total of this project                                     = $ 10,000

As the pandemic continues its spread, WHO and our government is reminding the public of the importance of handwashing as a key prevention measure against COVID-19 and urging renewed efforts to provide access to this most basic of public health interventions around the country.

Uganda Rural Community Support Foundation with its 15-year working with rural communities in Uganda has technical proof that handwashing with soap is one of the cheapest, most effective things you can do to protect yourself and others against coronavirus, as well as many other infectious diseases. Yet for millions, even this most basic of steps is simply out of reach. But it is important to make sure people know what steps they should take to keep themselves and their families safe, even as we continue our longstanding efforts to make basic hygiene and sanitation available to everyone.

Photo by Céline Cousteau

In many parts of Uganda, children, parents, teachers, healthcare workers, farmers and other members of the community do not have access to basic handwashing facilities at home, in healthcare facilities, schools or elsewhere. According to the latest estimates:

40 per cent of the Uganda’s population, do not have a handwashing facility with water and soap at home. Nearly three quarters of the people in Uganda lack basic handwashing facilities at home.

47 per cent of schools lack a handwashing facility with water and soap affecting 9 million school-age children.

Over one third of schools in Uganda and half of schools have no place for children to wash their hands at all.

16 per cent of healthcare facilities, or around 1 in 6, have no hygiene service, meaning they lack hand hygiene facilities where patients receive care, as well as soap and water at toilets.



Urban populations and refugee settlements are particularly at risk of viral respiratory infections due to population density and more frequent public gatherings in crowded spaces like markets, public transport or places of worship. People living in urban poor slums – the worst form of informal settlement – are particularly at risk. As a result, handwashing becomes even more important. Yet: Handwashing is also key to protect health workers from infection and prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infections in healthcare facilities. As the coronavirus response takes its toll on the health services in the affected countries, the practice of handwashing with soap is even more important in warding off common respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases.

URCSF is working with the Government and other partner agencies to ensure farmers, refugees, children and their parents have access to appropriate handwashing facilities and face masks. Additionally, URCSF promotes handwashing in all districts of Uganda, working with government to develop handwashing policies, strategies and action plans. What have we done before? URCSF has been providing support to the national handwashing campaigns, including through mass media, through work with community health and outreach workers to make sure they promote handwashing, and through work with schools and teachers to teach children the importance of handwashing.


As part of our coronavirus response, URCSF is also reminding the public of the best way to wash their hands properly:

• Wet hands with running water
• Apply enough soap to cover wet hands
• Scrub all surfaces of the hands – including back of hands, between fingers and under nails – for at least 20 seconds.
• Rinse thoroughly with running water and
• Dry hands with a clean cloth or single-use towel