COVID-19: WaterAid, Heineken Africa Foundation to empower Enugu communities with PPEs

[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]

WaterAid in collaboration with Heineken Africa Foundation has announced plans to empower some Enugu communities with protective context specific hygiene behaviour change promotion tools, insights and materials designed to help them protect themselves from infectious diseases including COVID-19.

Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria,  Evelyn Mere, who stated this during the launching of the second phase of Scale-up Hygiene Project in Enugu, said “the second phase of the project will focus on consolidating on the wins of the first phase and ramping up existing hygiene promotion interventions and campaigns to increase access to improved hygiene.”

Mere said the project was part of the organization’s COVID- 19 response intervention in helping vulnerable communities protect themselves against the spread of the deadly disease.

“It will also reduce the spread of the virus, and support national and sub-national governments to integrate water, sanitation, and hygiene in their COVID-19 response and Vaccination strategy.

“To achieve this, WaterAid will empower communities with context specific hygiene behaviour change promotion tools, insights and materials designed to help them protect themselves from infectious diseases including COVID-19.

“The project will increase access to non-contact and inclusive handwashing facilities in key strategic locations and deepen advocacy strategies to key government stakeholders to prioritise, integrate and

sustain water, sanitation, and hygiene access.

“This will serve as a key preventive method for fighting against the disease spread and ensure preparedness against future pandemics.

“The first phase of the project was successful in reaching and equipping 21 million residents in Bauchi, Benue, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna, and Oyo states and in the FCT with context-specific hygiene information.

“Encouraging the practice of good hygiene, using different promotional cues and touchpoints, including national, state and community TV and radio stations.

“Around  210 non-contact and inclusive handwashing facilities were installed in healthcare facilities,

schools, and public places to support the practice of good hygiene.

“Additionally, hygiene packs were distributed to 29,000 households and 7,200 people with disabilities in the states of intervention.

“While the Government of Nigeria has begun the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, only about 1.4 million people, less than 1 per cent of the population, have been fully vaccinated.

“According to the World Health Organization, “vaccines are only part of managing COVID-19, in addition to the main preventative measures, including frequent handwashing with soap.

“The second phase of the Scale-Up Hygiene project is set to be implemented in Bauchi, Enugu, and Oyo states. The project will strengthen governance structures for water, sanitation, and hygiene service delivery to increase access to clean water and hygiene services and support the control of the spread of COVID-19 through hygiene behaviour  change interventions”, She said.

Remarking, Joy Egolum, the Corporate Affairs Manager, Nigeria Breweries, South East Nigeria, commended  WaterAid for its commitment and doggedness in ensuring that the first phase was a huge success.

According to her, as one of the largest Breweries in the world, NB, do not joke with issues of hygiene and sanitation, hence the company always commit huge resources across nations of the globe in promoting clean environment.

In his address, the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who was represented by his Special Adviser on Water Resources, Anthony Dubem Onyia thanked WaterAid and Heineken Africa for choosing the state for the second phase of the project; and assured the readiness of Government in providing enabling environment for the hitch-free execution of the project.