Supporting Rural Health Facilities to Fight COVID-19

By Sarah Ooko, World Vision Senior Communications Officer, Kenya

Through its COVID-19 Response Plan, World Vision is supporting rural health facilities in Kenya to acquire personal protective equipment and others supplies aimed at tackling the disease.

The organisation has distributed an array of items to different rural hospitals in Nyamira, Kajiado, Siaya and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties.

They include: infrared thermometers, knapsack sprayers, surgical masks, disposable gowns, bins and bin liners.

Thermometers are used for screening people at entry points of hospitals to identify those that might be suffering from COVID-19, which usually presents with a high fever. Other common symptoms of the disease include fatigue (tiredness) and a dry cough.

The knapsack sprayers will enable hospitals to maintain high hygiene standards by disinfecting surfaces thoroughly so as to rid them of disease causing bugs like COVID-19.

With regards to the surgical masks, the World Health Organisation notes that they prevent the spread of the disease from saliva droplets and other respiratory secretions of infected people.

Kenya recorded its first COVID-19 case on 12th March 2020. So far, the Country has a total of 621 confirmed cases, 202 recoveries and 29 deaths (as of 8th May 2019). The worst hit Counties are Nairobi and Mombasa.

Nevertheless, the government of Kenya - through the support of organisations such as World Vision - is strengthening the capacity of health facilities at County levels for prevention and effective management of the disease.

The government has also banned travel, in and out of the Nairobi and Mombasa Counties so as to slow down the spread of COVID-19 to other Counties.

Other measures prioritised by the Ministry of Health to halt the spread of the disease include social distancing and frequent hand washing with soap and water.