Evaluation of the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition for COVID-19 prevention: The inclusion of persons with disabilities and older people- HBCC Study

Worldwide, over one billion people live with some form of disability, and one in every eleven people aged over 65 years have disabilities. Older persons and persons with disabilities often face diverse social, economic, and cultural exclusion and are restricted from complete, effective, and equal participation in society, including inequitable access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services. COVID-19 has made persons with disabilities even more vulnerable as they face a greater risk of infection by the virus and are prone to suffer severe complications, which are heightened with age or with the presence of any underlying medical conditions.

The HBCC Study seeks to evaluate the inclusiveness, effectiveness, and outcome of HBCC interventions (designed by The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Health Africa and Population Services Kenya (PSK) to limit the risk of COVID-19 among the general population) for persons with disabilities, older people, and caregivers in Kenya.
The study seeks to understand how effectively and inclusively HBCC interventions are being implemented for persons with disabilities and older people. The evaluation will comprise a mixed-method study conducted across four counties in Kenya-Embu, Homa Bay, Kwale, and Taita Taveta.
The study is expected to generate new scientific and operational evidence that will apply to the HBCC stakeholders, but that may also inform behavior change interventions in Kenya and other African and Asian countries with similar contexts and reduce the burden of WASH-related impacts of COVID-19.