Army raises coronavirus awareness in Africa and the Middle East

IHQ

AFRICA has recorded among the fewest cases of coronavirus to date, but the risks of transmission in nations that do not have well-developed healthcare systems are high. The Salvation Army is working to raise public awareness in many parts of the continent, while implementing measures to slow the spread of the virus. In the Middle East, a region with a greater number of infections, the Army continues to care for vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic.

BURKINA FASO

The Salvation Army has prepared 10 health information broadcasts for transmission across 26 community radio stations in the Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso areas. The broadcasts are supported by the distribution of 10,000 flyers and the provision of health kits and hand sanitiser in targeted communities, in liaison with the National Epidemic Management Committee.

GHANA

The Army’s 13 healthcare facilities are fulfilling an essential role in supporting government efforts to deal with suspected and confirmed coronavirus outbreaks. The centres are being provided with personal protective equipment for more than 850 professionals and support staff, as well as healthcare volunteers. The centres will also be issued with non-contact thermometers to reduce unnecessary contact between patients and healthcare team members. Health information and educational resources are also being produced and distributed countrywide.

KENYA

The Kenya West Territory is working with the national health ministry and other primary stakeholders at national, county and local levels, as well as Kenya Red Cross, the National Council of Churches and the media. The project will disseminate information about the virus to communities in Kakamega, Kolanya and Migori. Up to 7,500 vulnerable individuals will receive antibacterial soap and gloves.

LIBERIA

Information leaflets, banners and posters are being printed by the William Booth Clinic to communicate key hygiene and social distancing advice. Materials such as buckets, soaps and sanitisers are being provided, benefiting around 2,500 people in the counties of Montserrado and Margibi.

MALI

The Army is seeking to improve public awareness of the virus and how the spread can be countered. It is expected that more than 10,000 people will see health messages on five advertising hoardings rented by the Army. Advice and hand-washing materials will also be given to 12,000 families.

NIGERIA

A social media campaign on the prevention of the coronavirus, including information on testing and treatment, is about to be launched. The Army aims to reach at least 1 million people through the initiative, as well as through the distribution of 250,000 health information flyers. Large posters and banners in public places across the country will support the campaign. More than 20,000 units of hand sanitiser are being sourced to provide practical help.

SOUTH AFRICA

The country, which has the highest number of confirmed cases in the continent, is under a national lockdown. As shown in the pictures on these pages, the Army’s emergency disaster team is feeding nearly 1,200 people experiencing homelessness who have been assembled into three camps in the Pretoria area. The Salvation Army has been designated as camp managers for these sites, a roundthe-clock undertaking. Meals – consisting of fruit and fresh bread with a filling for breakfast and an evening meal with meat, vegetables and maize or rice – are provided twice a day. Education on coronavirus prevention measures is given before every meal. Tracey Kasuso visited the camps, helped the serving teams and commended the sacrificial service of every team member.

TANZANIA

The Army in Dar es Salaam is co-ordinating its efforts to counter the virus with the country’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation. An initial 30,000 individuals at high risk of infection have been identified in the Temeke district and will be given hand-washing materials, including soap, sanitiser and buckets. A public address system will be used to communicate vital healthcare messages, and hand-washing facilities will be made available at important locations, such as bus stops.

ZIMBABWE

The Army is supporting older people in the Mbare, Mufakose and Highfield regions of the capital, Harare. The Department of Social Welfare has identified 300 vulnerable people who will receive essential food items so that they do not need to venture out into highly populated areas. They will be supplied with rice, cooking oil, soya chunks, sugar and flour, as well as bottled water and soap. In addition, a further 700 people will receive soap and advice on good hygiene. Posters will augment important healthcare messages at 600 locations across the three communities.

KUWAIT

The Army continues to distribute essential food items in collaboration with the International Community Centre. This work will develop further as more funds become available.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Working with other Christian churches, the Army is giving food aid to individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. For several weeks all non-essential businesses have been closed, and some employees have been out of work for more than a month with no income. Rent payments have also left families with no money to buy food. In Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, the Army and partner churches have seen a large increase in the number of people requesting food aid. To help address this, the Army is offering supermarket gift cards to around 230 people. These cards, which will be supplied with hygiene advice, can be exchanged for essential groceries at those businesses permitted to remain open during this period. – AR

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