Jane Akinyi
28 April 2008
Nairobi — A national hand-washing programme funded by the World Bank and other donors has been unveiled.
Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP), an NGO, is supporting the Ministry of Health in a campaign that will have hand washing as part of its activities, to check cholera.
The first phase of the project, which is expected to cost $ 200,000 (Sh12.4 million), and run for three years, starts in September.
Mr Japheth Mbuvi, a specialist with WSP said his office had used $ 50,000 (Sh3 million) in preparation for the programme.
He said the programme would benefit many residents of Kisumu town, in the wake of a cholera outbreak in Nyanza.
The epidemic, which has been contained, has claimed more than 50 lives in the region in the last four months.
"Most people do not wash their hands with soap, thus consuming germs that hide beneath their nails along with food. This exposes them to diseases such as cholera and typhoid," he explained.
Meanwhile, Kisumu has been ranked the second lowest town in the country that hands consistent wash, with only two per cent of the population correctly using soap.
A survey commissioned by the Ministry of Health and carried out by Steadman covered seven provinces with a total of 802 households revealed this.
Consistent hand washing was found to reduce cases of diarrhoea by 42 per cent and to prevent cholera and avian flu outbreaks.
Meanwhile, the Government has sent experts to chlorinate water sources in Kisumu and its environs in efforts to contain a cholera outbreak.
District Public Health Officer, Mr Naphtali Bundi, said the exercise was aimed at making clean water to available to residents.
"Our personnel have been deployed to various parts of the province to chlorinate all wells, dams and rivers within residential areas," Bundi said.
He said priority would be given to areas hardest hit by the outbreak.
Bundi said the Government would also supply residents with chlorine tablets to treat water in their homes.
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