Skip to content

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. Consequently, these are the operational activities we are prioritizing:

  1. We are accelerating our efforts to complete construction of water systems that will serve hundreds of health care centers and other public facilities in nine countries. We do this work while continuing to teach about the importance of handwashing in homes, schools and clinics.
  2. Strengthen our capacities to strengthen public health systems 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. Helping and enabling government agencies to respond faster prevents chaos, misinformation, and unnecessary loss of life. This creates 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 appropriate 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 wherever possible. Our IT team is supporting cases of unstable electricity 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.

CURRENT CONFIRMED CASES IN COUNTRIES WITH WATER FOR PEOPLE PROGRAMS MAY 5, 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 Situation Dashboard.

Currently, some countries cannot test for COVID-19 correctly or are processing cases using different methodologies. For example, in certain areas of the United States, tests are only given to those who are hospitalized or extremely ill. Therefore, the number of cases is probably much higher than what the CDC and WHO report. This is likely true in some of the Water For People country programs, as testing kits are still difficult to find and take a long time to receive results.

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

Resources and answers of the World Health Organization (WHO/WHO)

Guidance 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 diseases in both animals and humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections that can range from the common cold to more serious diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

New coronavirus 2019

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 of 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. She reminds me a lot of health workers like Priscilla from the Kamwenge District of Uganda. Their clinic now has safe and reliable water thanks to Water For People's efforts 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% has no running water and 39% has no soap. In our time of crisis this is unthinkable!

I know we are all feeling the impact of COVID-19 in various ways right now, whether financial, physical or emotional. If you can, consider giving 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 are all neighbors, and we are all in this together.

In solidarity,
Eleanor Allen
CEO, Water For People

THANK YOU

With handwashing making headline news, as a nonprofit organization 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 have a positive impact on hygiene habits for hundreds of thousands of people in nine countries around the world. Thank you.