Happy new year, and welcome to the 17th issue of the COVID-19 Hygiene Hub news bulletin.
In this first issue of 2021, we highlight two new resources on how to make COVID-19 hygiene programmes sustainable. We also have a new case study of a national communication and community engagement project in the Kyrgyz Republic.
We have now moved to a monthly schedule, so you can expect the next issue in the last week of February. All previous news bulletins are available here.
As always, if you have a question for the Hygiene Hub or would like to share your project, we encourage you to contact us at support@hygienehub.info.
Technical resources
We continue to review, and add to, our large collection of technical resources with relevant and up-to-date evidence and guidance on COVID-19 response.
As the pandemic continues, many actors responding to the COVID-19 pandemic are beginning to shift their attention (and activities) to the challenges of longer-term, sustainable programming. We have put together two new summary reports to support you:
Our summary report on the economics of hygiene programmes brings together what is known about the economic case for handwashing. We designed this resource to help decision makers develop costed national hygiene roadmaps and advocate for greater investment in hygiene.
In our summary report on sustainability and advocacy, we reflect on how programmes can be adapted given the protracted nature of the COVID-19 response. We give advice on how to build in mechanisms for sustainability and advocate for longer-term programmatic, policy and systems changes. We also outline key principles that you can draw on to influence contextualised approaches to sustainability, advocacy and policy change.
Finally, we have also updated our resource on preventing transmission via surfaces through cleaning and disinfection.
All of our resources are available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. If you have requests or ideas for future resources, please email us at support@hygienehub.info.
Areas of technical support
This past month, common enquiries to the Hygiene Hub and questions from our partners have included:
How should our organisation go about designing COVID-19 prevention programmes?
Check out our guide on programme design.
How can we effectively measure COVID-19 preventative behaviours?
Read this guide on adapting project outcome measures for COVID-19 interventions.
How can I build sustainability into my programme?
Read our guidance on sustainability and advocacy for longer-term planning here.
What do we know about the return on investment in hygiene?
Check out our report on the economics of hygiene programmes here.
Sharing case studies on your COVID-19 response
This month, we have a new case study from the Kyrgyz Republic, a landlocked country with two thirds of the population living in rural areas. Colleagues from the World Bank’s Sustainable Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project reflect on the design and implementation of a national communication campaign, and WASH activities engaging schools and communities .
Image: Training session on sanitation improvement at home for Village Health Committees in Korul subproject, Osh region, Kyrgyz Republic. Source: World Bank.
Would you be willing to share your experience with the sector?
If you are interested in sharing your work and want to contribute to our growing collection of case studies, please contact claire.collin@lshtm.ac.uk. We are currently particularly keen to hear about programmes that incorporate advocacy, policy or sustainability components.
Social media channels
If you would like updates on the COVID-19 Hygiene Hub through social media, follow us on Twitter @hygiene_hub, Facebook @covid19hygienehub and LinkedIn.