STRENGTHENING WASH AND INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL FOR COVID19 RESPONSE IN SEVEN ISOLATION CENTRES.

Where: MBEYA AND SONGWE REGIONS

Project Period: May 2020 to October 2020

Total Cost: TZS 270,574,300 (USD 116,879).¹

Partner/Funder: UNICEF

This was a humanitarian response responding to COVID 19 outbreak to improve WASH services in Health Care Facilities (HCF) to serve 1000 people as a targeted population during COVID 19 Outbreak. Targeted 7 isolation centres were Nanyala health centre, Chalangwa Health Centre, Kandete Dispensary, Makambini Dispensary, Inyala hospital, Mbarali District hospital and Songwe District Hospital

The Achievements:

• Construction of 6 toilet blocks with a total of 19 stances (5 bathrooms and 3 stances with both pans and showers) for Makambini, Nanyala, Kandete and Chalagwa centres. The toilets were equipped with ceramic squatting pans, flush tanks, water tap, Wall and floor tiles, gypsum board, electricity, aluminium windows and doors and timber doors in some of centres as well as hand washing basins, and shower in bathrooms. Also six toilet chairs for people with disabilities were distributed in three centres of Makambini, Kandete and Nanyala.

• Improvement of water services with a total of 5 water points, 5 tank towers with a height ranging from 3.5 to 4m installed with 5000lts, 7water storage tanks 6 with 5,000 lts capacity and 1 with 10,000 lts. Installed a pump and its accessories at Kandete dispensary and performed all plumbing works to make the system full functional.

• Construction of two incinerators at Songwe and Chalangwa, two burning chambers at Inyala and Kandete and 1 Ash pit at Mbalari, and improved incinerator at Makambini dispensary.

• Rehabilitation works to existing toilets with 10 stances at Makambini, Chalangwa and Kandete

• Delivered hand washing facilities to all 7 isolation centres.

• Delivered Waste bins, bin liners, 200 fliers, 50 posters and 7 rollup banners in each centre.

• A total 259 (112 Female and 147) health workers from all seven isolation centres plus other 15 health centres in Tunduma town council were reached with awareness on management of COVID 19 cases.

An additional support, from savings on projects implementations, was to used procure a laundry machine for the Highly Infectious Disease Treatment Unit (HIDTU) at Inyala hospital. Presence of this laundry machine has supported the highly infectious unit to manage and prevent health workers, relatives and community at large from the risks.

The good news is that the centres are now continuing with normal services provision, no COVID19 admitted patients at all 7 Isolation centres.

SAWA appreciates for supports and cooperation received from all stakeholders including Unicef, LGA, HCF board management and HCF leaders and communities at projects areas.

1 1 USD = 2,315 TZS