Oxfam is widely recognised as the expert in 'public health' in emergency situations. Oxfam aims to address the disparity in water and sanitation coverage that exists - nearly 800 million people lack access to water and 2.5 billion to sanitation. In 35 countries we are working on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects.
Access to clean water, sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion. These are the key elements which Oxfam promotes following a disaster.
In the past, Oxfam has provided water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) support to the thousands of survivors for many disasters, some of them being the #NepalEarthquake, #KashmirFloods, #AsaamFLoods, #ManipurEaryquake & #ManipurFloods and the most recent #TamilNaduFloods
Water: Providing the affected people clean drinking water. It also includes purification of water by using chlorine tablets.
Sanitation: Providing sanitation utilities as open excreta could lead to spread of diseases.Making separate sanitation facilities for women to ensure their safety and privacy.
Hygiene: Providing hygiene kits for women and girls and distribution of items essential for health and hygiene.
How does this help?
1. As opposed to open defecation, latrine cubicles improves women's privacy and safety
2. These WaSH measures help preventŸ disease outbreaks, especially in the crammed living conditions at the Internally Displaced Persons camps.
3. Latrines help in improving access to quality and quantity of water by preventing contamination of water from open defecation
4. By promoting hand washing practice, we reduce chances of diarrhoea by 25%
5. The priority focus of Hygiene Promotion in our conflict response is the prevention of diarrhoea through focus of Hygiene Promotion in an emergency is the prevention of diarrhoea through the safe disposal of excreta, effective handwashing and reducing.
Click here for the more information on Water, Sanitation and hygiene.
Photo Credit: Oxfam
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