Kenyans employ innovation to sanitize in times crisis

With water a scarce resource in Kenya's capital Nairobi and hand- sanitizers too expensive for most residents, locals have come up with innovative ways to ensure their hands stay clean as more novel coronavirus cases are confirmed there.

"The current state of water, sanitation, and hygiene in Kenya poses a huge risk for the coronavirus to spread rapidly, and the sad thing is that our fragile health system is not prepared for such an outbreak," Tabitha Auma, a community health worker in Nairobi's Mathare slums said.

Despite a lack of piped water in most homes and business premises in Nairobi, Kenyans have decided to provide water tanks at the entrances to businesses, so customers can wash their hands with soap and water.

According to Samuel Muchiri, a businessman who sells water tanks in Nairobi's Gikomba market, the tanks were once only used by small hotels but, since the novel coronavirus pandemic struck, more businesses and individuals want them.

"Most people who live in slums don't have water and, of late, we have been selling the tanks to individuals from the slums who use them in their homes," Muchiri said. "With every business being required to ensure that they provide means for their customers to sanitize, demand for the tanks has gone up and I have had to increase my production."

According to the World Health Organization, or WHO, the spread of the novel coronavirus is preventable through good hand hygiene. WHO advises people to wash their hands with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand-sanitizers.

However, the lack of water in most areas across the country and especially in slums is posing a threat, as people try to protect themselves against the virus.

"As health workers, we are worried that people in the slums are likely to be more vulnerable to the coronavirus and other infectious diseases. We have had several outbreaks of cholera and diarrhea within the slums in the past, and unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation were identified as the main cause of the outbreaks," Auma said.

On Sunday, Kenya's ministry of health confirmed that 16 more people had tested positive for novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 142 cases and four deaths.

The health ministry has directed all public transport providers and business premises to have a way for customers to sanitize their hands.