• The Health department has partnered with 18 civil society organisations to teach residents on the prevention methods.
• Health director says they have distributed masks, sanitiser, soaps and water tanks.
The Homa Bay Health department is taking an awareness campaign against the coronavirus to elderly persons, fishermen, children and traders.
The department has partnered with 18 civil society organisations to teach residents on prevention methods.
In a programme dubbed Komesha Corona, Okoa Maisha (End Covid-19, save lives), the door-to-door campaigns target groups considered less likely to adopt prevention measures.
Speaking during the launch in their health offices on Thursday, county director of health services Gordon Okomo and head of Homa Bay CSOs network Samuel Odhiambo said they will cover all the 40 wards.
Okomo said the sensitisation exercise will take two months.
“Many people are aware of the dangers of contracting the coronavirus, but the targeted group needs to be reminded of its prevention,” Okomo said.
The director said they have distributed masks, sanitiser, soaps and water tanks to residents.
"The campaign will ensure everyone puts on a mask in the right way to cover their nose and mouth,” he said.
Odhiambo said the team is using community health volunteers to take the message to the grassroots.
"Some residents don’t have access to electronic media to know how to prevent Covid-19. The initiative will enable people in the remote areas to know how they can prevent contracting the disease,” he said.
In the target group, children are at the greatest risk of transmitting the virus as they interact during playtime.
"Restrictions of movement and closure of learning institutions have made children engage in a lot of play... We want them to be aware of the disease,” Odhiambo said.
Mary Anyango, the head of Homa Bay community health workers, said more than 800 of them have been trained in how to sensitise the community.
“We are using a public address system to pass the message about the coronavirus. Some health workers will move from one door to another with the message,” she said.
(Edited by F'Orieny)