Choices and Practices of Handwashing in the Post-COVID-19 Period in Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

This study aims to investigate how people in the slums of Viwandani, Nairobi, are washing their hands in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team will collaborate with the community to develop strategies to encourage people to wash their hands regularly. Specifically, they will engage community members to identify hotspots for handwashing with soap in their community, then observe people in the identified hotspots to see how they wash their hands in places where they’re supposed to. Out of those observed, we will randomly pick out some and talk to them to find out what they think about washing their hands with soap and what makes it hard for them to keep doing it, as well as what motivates some people to keep washing their hands and how we can help others do the same. Additionally, the team will hold discussions with the team that conducted the hotspot mapping to gather more information on the community’s perspective on hand washing with soap. Finally, we will have a workshop to bring together representatives from the local administration, interview participants, the mapping team, and representatives from the facilities listed in the hotspot. They will work together to identify effective ways/interventions to encourage regular hand washing with soap.

Project duration: March 2024 to February 2025.

Funder: APHRC Pipeline initiatives 

Partners: None

Project team:

Maurine Ng’oda