The Urban Poor are Fighting Back Against COVID-19

Maria 5, and Tendo, 4, have learnt the habit of regularly washing their hands whenever they arrive back home from playing with their friends, Kamwokya II Ward, Central Division, Kampala City, Uganda. April 2020. Credit: WaterAid/ James KiyimbaBy Mbaye MbeguereDAKAR, Senegal, Oct 14 2020 (IPS) For those who live in slums and informal settlements, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront their greatest vulnerabilities. But they are fighting back; organising, and coming up with creative ways to protect their communities. Regular handwashing with soap and water is a first line of defence in protecting from deadly diseases, but in sub-Saharan Africa, 63 per cent of people in urban areas – that’s 258 million people – lack access to decent handwashing facilities. Globally, there are 3 billion people who do not have access to soap and water to wash their hands at home. Other preventative measures employed by governments such as lockdowns and curfews are equally implausible for those living in slums and informal settlements. It’s often so crowded that there is often no space for physical distancing, especially for those who need to leave their homes to collect water or use communal toilets. When businesses are informal and your economy functions on a day-to-day basis, advice to work from home, or close your business is unworkable. In many places informal markets have been cleared and people evicted in response to COVID-19, ignoring the rights of the urban poor a...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Africa Development & Aid Environment Featured Headlines Health TerraViva United Nations Water & Sanitation Source Type: news