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WATER FOR PEOPLE + COVID-19

Updates

March 31, 2020

You may already know that Water For People has focused on three critical areas of global need since our inception: water, sanitation and hygiene. As the impact of COVID-19 continues to increase around the world, hygiene is quickly becoming a priority. Accordingly, these are the operational activities we are prioritizing:

  1. We are accelerating our efforts to finish construction of water systems that will serve hundreds of health care centers and other public facilities in nine countries. We are doing this work while continuing to teach about the importance of handwashing in homes, schools, and clinics.
  2. Strengthen our public health systems strengthening capabilities with government ministries. This is critical for two reasons:
    • Sustainability: As the current health crisis grows, local governments need the skills to change human behavior and stop the spread of the virus. A particular need is for long-term improvements in personal hygiene practices in homes and healthcare facilities.
    • Resilience: Faster response times mean more lives will be saved in times of crisis. Assisting and enabling government agencies to respond faster prevents chaos, misinformation, and unnecessary loss of life. This builds community resilience and preparedness for the next public health crisis.

  3. Support aid agencies that are funding new emergency infrastructure, such as hospitals and health centres. Our role is to ensure that good handwashing and hygiene practices, along with adequate facilities, are included in work settings so that disease transmission is interrupted.

  4. Keeping our teams in place as best we can during the COVID-19 crisis. This is so that when the situation improves in each country, we are ready to help families, communities and governments in the recovery process.

March 19, 2020

  1. All global employees are working remotely whenever possible. Our IT team is providing support in cases of unstable power or internet connections.

  2. Our annual monitoring is temporarily delayed as it often includes a door-to-door survey.

  3. Our program teams continue to be flexible and creative to ensure work continues despite this new environment.

CASOS CONFIRMADOS ACTUALES EN LOS PAÍSES CON PROGRAMAS DE WATER FOR PEOPLE 5 DE MAYO DE 2020

GLOBAL: 3,525,116
Bolivia: 1,594
Guatemala: 703
Honduras: 1,055
India: 46,433
Malawi: 41
Nicaragua: 15
Peru: 45,928
Rwanda: 261
Uganda: 89
United States: 1,154,985

From the WHO COVID-19 Dashboard.

Currently, some countries are unable to test for COVID-19 properly or are processing cases using different methodologies. For example, in certain areas of the United States, testing is only being provided to those who are hospitalized or extremely ill. Therefore, the number of cases is likely much higher than what the CDC and WHO are reporting. This is likely true in some of the Water For People country programs, as test kits are still hard to find and take a long time to receive results.

Even if reported cases are low, that doesn't mean there is a low chance of contracting the virus. It is best to follow local government guidelines and continue to practice social distancing and safe hygiene procedures.

Recursos y respuestas of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Guidelines for the public

Stay up to date with the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, which can be accessed on the WHO website and through relevant public health authorities at national and local levels. COVID-19 continues to primarily affect people in China, although outbreaks have occurred in other countries.

Questions and answers about coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause disease in both animals and humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

2019 novel coronavirus

On 31 December 2019, WHO was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. WHO is closely monitoring this event and is in active communication with counterparts in China.

More information about the Pan American Health Organization.

Message from CEO Eleanor Allen March 31, 2020

Dear Water For People supporters,

As I sit at home under mandatory "stay-at-home" orders, I can't help but think about the shocking images from around the world of empty streets and abandoned historic sites. Through a wave of emotions, a single thought emerges:

"I am participating in the greatest act of solidarity of my life."

Looking out my window, a second thought immediately follows:

"My neighbors are not just the families on my street. They are mothers in India, children in Peru, and families in Rwanda. We are all affected by the COVID-19 virus regardless of our location."

My thoughts don’t stop there. I am reminded a lot of health workers like Priscilla, from the Kamwenge District of Uganda. Her clinic now has safe, reliable water thanks to the efforts of Water For People there. But she is among the lucky ones. A 2018 study of 130,000 healthcare clinics in low- and middle-income countries showed that 50% had no running water and 39% had no soap. In our time of crisis this is unthinkable!

I know we're all feeling the impact of COVID-19 in various ways right now, whether financial, physical, or emotional. If you're able, please consider donating what you can to Water For People. Your support will help us quell this pandemic and continue our ongoing work with greater urgency than before. Every donation matters. Now more than ever, we're all neighbors, and we're all in this together.

In solidarity,
Eleanor Allen
CEO, Water For People

THANK YOU

With handwashing in the news, as a nonprofit working to provide reliable water service and educate about good hygiene practices, especially handwashing, we wanted to thank you for supporting this important work.

When the importance of hygiene hits so close to home, it makes us even more grateful for our donors and supporters. You are the reason we can continue to positively impact hygiene habits for hundreds of thousands of people in nine countries around the world. Thank you.