Infection Prevention & Control

ENGAGING THE YOUTH IN INFECTION PREVENTION & CONTROL

Project Goal

Youth in solidarity for humanity, support Infection Prevention Control measures against pandemics such as COVID-19, malaria, typhoid especially for marginalized and vulnerable people and those in fragile and humanitarian contexts

Project Objectives

To build knowledge among the youth on IPC and RCCE as well as building a youth agency therein enhancing the prevention and control initiatives

Implement targeted SBCC while addressing disinformation, misinformation and infondemic around pandemics

To support government’s efforts on community and health systems preparedness and building of effective relationships and trusts around health emergencies preparedness and response

Project Summary

While devolution has led to county based public health risk management and WASH planning, gaps still exist. In many towns and cities, the WASH systems have greatly deteriorated and many people are exposed to grave public health risks. In rural areas, with the massive deforestation and low sanitation network, many people have less access to clean water and sanitation leading to worse health outcomes. Further, COVID-19 has greatly exposed African public health systems as being vulnerable to pandemics and lacking in equity. From our Risk Communication and community Engagement (RCCE) knowledge built over 2 years during the COVID-19 response including interaction and joint projects implementation with Nairobi Metropolitan Services(NMS), County Government of Kisumu and World Health Organization (WHO) we narrowed down the context to 5 major issues. These are (1) resource gaps and incentives for community engagement, (2) strategic leadership and response coordination (3)Trust among health workforce, government and communities , (4)misinformation and infondemic (5) community and health systems preparedness

In summary, Key Strategic approaches that OAY has adopted in COVID-19 response;

Communication

This is using all the available means of communication to increase community access to information on health emergencies including COVID-19 prevention and control

Social mobilization, linkages and referrals

This is done by involving the different community organization and groups such as churches ,religious place ,funeral

Effective monitoring evaluation, learning & reporting

Compiling activity reports, final report and field supervisory visits and documentation of success stories

Project Outcomes

Youth in Solidarity with Humanity

Youth support programmes and activities aimed at putting the young people at the heart of the WASH interventions including direct intervention, provision of WASH facilities and services such as water and sanitation

Resource

Promoting strategic planning and resourcing of community focussed WASH and RCCE programs at policy and investment levels. The key focus should be Journey to Self-Reliance (J2SR)

Account

Promote accountable Pandemics planning and leadership across all levels with clear feedback and surveillance systems. We advocate for Results Based Financing (RBF) with clear checks and balances as well as adoption of Do no Harm Approaches especially in fragile contexts

Involve

We advocate for effective relationships and trusts building so that the health workforce, health volunteers and governments win the confidence of communities. Further, the health workforce and supervisors need to work seamlessly and any gaps addressed amicably. Further, we advocate for meaningful youth engagement so as to enhance peer based behaviour change communication efforts during pandemic cases

Inform

We seek to roll out RCCE Community Conversations to address rumours, untruths, myths, fake news and misinformation around Pandemics. We seek to
co-convene community conversations focusing on the status of the public health issue, gaps and innovative community based solutions. Through public participation and civic engagement forums such as budgeting processes, we will work with Local Action Groups to link the communities to government and partners ’programs and ensure the priorities are included in any strategy

Empower

We strongly believe in the power of health education and Health Literacy that support community awareness and behaviour change engagements to help young people navigate the complex health ecosystem and the social determinants of health. This is to be done by the Youth RCCE leaders trained on RCCE and health Literacy including sanitation , water safety and treatment , hand washing

Achievements to 2022

In partnership with the Ministry of Health - Kenya, WHO supported OAY in the implementation of Infection Prevention and Control response plans, and OAY has been essential towards ensuring young people are on the forefront in curbing of COVID-19 and diseases of public health importance. Since the pandemic onset in 2020,OAY with the support of WHO achieving the following :

Increased number of young people uptake to vaccines

Improved institutions adherence to COVID 19 mitigation measures

Increased number of young people and stakeholders as champions to promote COVID 19 awareness

Strengthen clubs and youth groups on health-related engagements sharing information necessary to mitigate COVID 19

Enhanced hygiene and infection prevention control in schools through the enhancement of WASH mechanisms

Improved knowledge on COVID 19 mitigation and prevention strategies to social behaviour change control

OAY has also enhanced follow up PMNCH Call to Action on COVID19 : Popularization and Advocacy on realization of commitments made by Kenya - 2021

OAY has equipped adolescents out of schools with skills on making liquid detergents for hygiene purposes and income earning purposes. These skills will be very vital for the adolescents even after the project timelines

OAY in partnership with LREB has further enhanced Infection Prevention Control through partnership withLake Region Economic Bloc(LREB)to enhance WASH in schools in 14 Counties.