‘How do we wash our hands when taps aren’t running?’

In the global COVID-19 pandemic, hand washing has been recommended as the most effective way to keep coronavirus from spreading. In Sokoto, many communities have no running water and that is causing concerns as our correspondent reports. Hassan stations four water containers with spouts and tight-fitting lids at strategic location in his house. This is […]

In the global COVID-19 pandemic, hand washing has been recommended as the most effective way to keep coronavirus from spreading. In Sokoto, many communities have no running water and that is causing concerns as our correspondent reports.

Hassan stations four water containers with spouts and tight-fitting lids at strategic location in his house. This is his way of ensuring the household has running water for regular hand wash during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As one of the essential protective measures against the new coronavirus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended regular and thorough cleaning of hands with soap and water to kill viruses that may be on them.

“Hands are the main pathways of germs transmission,” WHO said. “Hand hygiene is, therefore, the most important measure to avoid transmission of harmful germs.”

However, with the apparent need to maintain hand hygiene comes a rise in demand for water but for people like Hassan with no running water, that may be a challenge.

“We don’t have pipe borne water, but I have made this provision of water in the buckets with taps to meet the need. As coronavirus cases increase by the day, I am taking extra

care to stay free from it,” Hassan, a Sokoto resident, said.

“Hitherto we store enough water in jerry cans and drums that last about three days, but since the COVID-19 problem, the same quantity of water hardly last a day due to regular usage,” he said.

Collins Osagie faces a similar challenge but his solution is slightly different.

“One thing I do is to ensure water is available at all times in the house by purchasing fuel to pump water from the borehole so that our taps run,” he said. “With the current fuel scarcity, I spend not less than N4, 000 on fuel.

“I wash my hands when going out or coming in daily and instructed members of my family to ensure compliance with hand hygiene to stay safe and free from the dreaded virus,” Collins said.

However, for many poor households the options are not as easy as they are for Hassan and Collins as access to regular and safe water supply to cater for this extra need in handwashing is daunting.

WH0/UNICEF 2019 report indicates that 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safely managed drinking water services, while 3 billion people around the world lack necessary handwashing facilities.

In Nigeria, statistics reveal that 52.7million people, about a quarter of the population,  do not have access to water supply.

Bashiru Danmalaik of Gidan Filani settlement on the outskirt of Sokoto town laments that even before the advent of coronavirus, meeting regular water demands was challenging.

“We get water from some open wells in the locality or buy from water carriers. On a typical day, I spend N200-N300 on water, when I want my children to rest from scouting for water all over the place,” he said.

The 49-year-old sugarcane seller with two wives and six children said. “The need for adequate water has increased due to coronavirus pandemic. But what can people like me do in such a situation?

“With adequate water, it is not a big deal washing hands as recommended by health experts, but for us facing water stress, what can we do?

Basiru calls on the government to connect the layout with piped water to ease their water woes saying there is an urgent need for government intervention.

In Nakasari area, Mallam Ahmadu Lemi, said they too face a similar problem.

“We lack adequate water in my area which stands as a barrier to the proper practise of handwashing,” he said.

“Look at the movement of water vendors all over the place, they don’t sell to us at an affordable rate, especially now with the recommendation that requires extra use of water. From N20, the price has increased to N25 –N30 per jerry can,” he said.

“On average, I spend N300-N400 daily to get water for my family of nine. In this situation, what else can one do in the coronavirus control or getting enough for the family to drink, cook, and meet other domestic need?,” he said.

According to him, many families cannot guarantee adequate water to wash hands, as they do not have piped water.

“We are praying to Almighty God to keep us safe and free from the scourge while also praying that the prevailing situation would make relevant authorities boost efforts towards ensuring water for all,” he said.

Lemi’s neighbour Atiku Liman, corroborated the difficulties residents of the area face.

“My four children toil daily to fetch water from far way Gagi Road since I lack the financial strength to buy from vendors,” he said, adding that when schools where still open, his children often have to skip classes in order to fetch water for the family’s use.

For the likes of Aisha Ahmed, despite being educated about proper hygiene, and what to do in this time, the lack of access to water is a “serious barrier.”

The coronavirus pandemic not just reinforces the need for proper hygiene practice, which has long been stressed as a preventive measure against diseases but also accentuates the need to ensure universal access to water, which the United Nations has described as a human right.

“Access to safe water are human rights as recognised in 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly,” it said. “For universal fulfilment of these rights to become a reality, we will need the right system, well resourced, capable institutions delivering services and changing behaviours in resilient and appropriate ways.”

Coordinator Open Government Partnership (OGP), Sokoto, Dr Auwal Ahmed Musa re-echoed the need to prioritise  the provision of potable water and sanitation facilities.

“No disease can be fought and won without water, sanitation and hygiene,” he said “Fighting diseases requires hygiene. Without water, hygiene cannot be achieved. Water shortages or scarcity will escalate unhygienic practices and environment, thereby leading to widespread outbreaks and epidemics.”

Development publicist, Sani Muhammad also noted that with the International Decade for Action, Water for Action’ 2018-2028, concerted efforts should be made to redress water-related challenges and achieve access to water supply by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 6.

“The impact of universal access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene on global health would be profound,” according to the UN-Water. “There is the potential to save the lives of 829,000 who currently die every year from the disease directly caused by unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene practices.”