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COVID-19 Response and WASH Lessons Learned in Nepal

Countries
Nepal
+ 1 more
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date
Origin
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SUMMARY

• As of 5 October, there have been 89,263 positive cases, 65,202 recoveries, and 554 deaths across the country.

• UNICEF reached 3.15 million people through WASH promotional and behavioral-change communications activities. A total of 125,700 people benefitted from the installation of 559 contactless handwashing stations.

• The influx of around 3,000 to 5,000 people per day returning from India per point of entry, created additional emergency needs at the border for WASH services.

• In addition to the timely and sufficient coverage of PPE for frontline workers, a strategy to provide psychosocial support was critical to ensure the continuity of WASH services.

Context

The COVID-19 pandemic spread to Nepal when its index case in Kathmandu was confirmed on 9 January 2020. As of 5 October, there have been 89,263 positive cases, 65,202 recoveries, and 554 deaths across the country. The disease has been detected in all provinces and districts of the country, with Province No. 2 and Kathmandu valley being the worst-hit area. A country-wide lockdown came into effect on 24 March 2020 and ended on 21 July 2020. Schools have been closed since March 2020 while a significant number of quarantine and isolation centers were hosted in schools with minimum preparedness to cater to such a large population. UNICEF’s WASH response included: support in assessments; the provision of WASH supplies and facilities in Health Care Facilities (HCFs), quarantine centers, isolation centers, and points of entry; community, handwashing promotion; innovation in handwashing stations as well as capacity building to government and various stakeholders on WASH and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).