School children led celebration of World Toilet Day and World Antibiotic Awareness Week

2019-11-24

This year’s World Antibiotic Awareness Week was definitely a memorable one. ReAct Africa was honored to combine the World Toilet Day celebrations on 19th November 2019 with antimicrobial resistance awareness activities, in an event led by pupils from 3 elementary schools from Siaya and Kisumu counties in Kenya; namely, Karapul, Segere and Orongo primary schools.

The event, held at the Karapul primary school was themed “Leaving No-One Behind because The future of Antibiotics Depends on All of Us” was attended by community members, teachers, community health workers, Siaya county’s County Executive Council  for Public Health and the Siaya Public Health Officer as well as a few WASH partners.

Siaya County achieved 100% “open defecation free” status long before the 2020 target, and as a result, has been free of Cholera outbreaks for the last 2 consecutive years, contrary to the past. The county leadership is therefore cognizant of the importance of effective antibiotics and in full support of AMR interventions.

Focus on good hand hygiene and proper use of toilets

The children, aged between 9 to 12 years and enrolled in their respective schools’ health clubs, communicated messages on the importance of good hand hygiene, proper use of toilets and adherence to antibiotics, through songs, dance, illustrations and poems. Same messages were passed on by community health volunteers  involved in the ReAct Alforja project, through skits and dance.

Children will pass messages and lessons to families and communities

Preparations towards this successful event were partly guided by the Bacterial World and Antibiotic Use chapters in the adapted Alforja guide booklet, as well as the school curricula on hygiene and nutrition and water and sanitation (WASH) activities. Despite the short 3rd school term (2 months), the Child to Child teachers and community health volunteers were able to understand these topics and capacitate the children on the same, and especially on how best the children would pass the important messages and lessons to their families and communities.

Tracie Muraya, ReAct Africa program officer says:

“The event was a true reflection of the importance of multi sectoral collaboration in addressing antimicrobial resistance in sync with other public health issues, rather than in silos. We look forward to more child-led exciting and impactful Alforja-based activities throughout the remainder of the project’s lifetime and beyond.”

The approximate total of all students registered in the 3 schools that participated is about 10,000 (Karapul alone has 6,000; Orongo 2,700 and Segere about 1300).